This weekend marked the culmination of quite a year for the midget girls’ team.
At the end of last season, we went through the same conversation that we have had every year for the last eight years: “will there be enough girls for a team next year? What happens if some quit?”
Last spring I was even worried that my daughter wouldn’t be able to play in her last year of high school.
But, wow, was I wrong! Twenty girls signed up this year. We had seasoned veterans, who are a delight to watch with their impressive moves and incredible skills, and some girls who had never played a game in their lives.
To watch the skill development and emotional growth of these young women has been truly incredible. We started the season in November with a tournament in Okotoks. The girls fought hard, really learned to play as a team, and pulled off a tie in one game. We went on to host a tournament in Jasper in December. Since we had such a large number of players, we entered two teams. One of our teams won the B final, and the other team lost a hard-fought battle in the A final.
Fort Saskatchewan and Slave Lake hosted tournaments in early January, and the Grizzlies took the A final in both. In February we headed to Edson where the girls won one game and lost two by the narrowest of margins. Despite the heartbreaking losses, the girls stayed positive and chocked it up to a learning experience.
Our final tournament this past weekend, was no exception to their impressive team spirit. The first game was Jasper versus Grimshaw.
Grimshaw started off with two goals in the first period. The Grizzlies fought back hard, but despite a 41-14 shot ratio in their favour, lost the game 4-2.
Jasper’s second game was against Lac La Biche, and the Grizzlies played hard, skating to a 4–1 victory.
For the final game, the Grizzlies took on Edmonton EG 717. This team is top of the league in the city and was undefeated in the tournament heading into the final. The Grizzlies played the game of their lives, skating as hard and fast as they could. They never let a puck or an opportunity pass by. They made some expert passes, some excellent saves, and scored some beautiful goals. The final score was 4-1.
With this win, Jasper picked up their third tournament win and finished their 28-game season in style. An outstanding finale for an outstanding group of young women.
Moira McKinnon
Special to the Fitzhugh
