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| Burnaby Wildcats Midget - winners of the Remembrance Day Tournament in November |
Manager: Nicole Geyer
Opponents: Langley (Championship Game)
Result: Langley wins 4-3 in a shootout
The Burnaby Wildcats have an affinity for taking Championship-determining games into shootouts. Just a few months after winning the Remembrance Day Hockey Tournament in a dramatic shootout on home-ice, the team once again found themselves going the distance in a big game. This season-ending Championship game was played on March 8th against Langley.
The Langley team was a frequent opponent for the Wildcats and both teams have challenged each other to play at their very best all season long. The Wildcats won both their regular season games against Langley, and then tied one game and lost one game against them in the playoffs. This set the stage for a hotly-contested Championship game, and the players did not disappoint. Both teams played hard till the end but, unfortunately for the Wildcats, they were unable to win the shootout this time around. Shootouts force players who are used to working together as a team to suddenly take center stage individually. They are not, however, a reflection of how well a team is capable of playing as a group.
The game did not get to a shootout without some regulation-time heroics. The Wildcats battled back from an early 2-goal deficit to tie it up, and then went ahead 3-2 with a goal late in the 2nd period. Unfortunately, Langley managed to tie it up early in the 3rd period and then went on to seal the Championship in the shootout.
Despite the loss, the Wildcats Midget team is still extremely proud of their efforts. They committed themselves to working hard on their skills and they made positive strides all season long. The Midget team was benefitted by the hiring of Dominique Di Rocco as the Burnaby Wildcats' Head of Female Hockey Development. Through several on-ice sessions spent training with Di Rocco, the players were given the opportunity to learn from an accomplished former-player and current AAA-level coach about what makes a team successful. The opportunity comes at the perfect time for the Midget players. Soon many of them will be leaving their Minor Hockey careers behind and some may be pursuing oppportunities in the CIS or NCAA. As a former CIS player herself, Di Rocco is a good resource to help guide the players through the next few years of their hockey careers.
The plans for a season-ending celebration are in the works as the girls look forward to being able to have some fun together as a team and recognize the accomplishments of all players, and the contributions of the team coaches, managers, and helpers.
~ Jehan Jiwa
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