Adam Prudhomme
Editor
It was a double bronze finish to the season for Stone Mills senior women’s hockey teams as they medaled at the provincial level in both the BB and C division.
The Sr. C team secured bronze at the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association provincials with a 2-0 win over the Norfolk Hericanes on April 16.
They began their provincials with a 1-0 win over West Northumberland and a 1-0 victory over Toronto Leaside.
After dropping their first meeting with Norfolk 2-0, they rebounded with a 3-1 win over Lambton. In the semifinals they fell 4-1 to Huron, which placed them in the bronze medal game. They rallied to finish their season on a winning note by shutting out the Norfolk team that had gotten the better of them in round robin play.
Stone Mills Sr. BB women’s hockey team captured provincial bronze. Submitted photo.
Stone Mills’ Sr. BB followed a similar path to their medal.
They got their tournament off to a strong start with a 7-1 win over Kingston. Their second game was a 6-3 defeat to Woodstock to wrap up the first day action.
On April 15 they got back on track with a 2-1 win over the Blue Water Hawks.
On Sunday they had a chance to advance to the gold medal game but came up just short with a 2-1 overtime loss to the reigning gold medalist Durham Lady Huskies.
They quickly put that defeat behind them and came back with a 4-1 win over Woodstock to earn bronze.
For Sr. BB player Stella Weese, continuing the tradition of senior hockey in Stone Mills is important. The team was founded by her aunt-and at one point Weese had the chance to play along side her mother, winning provincial gold in 2002.
The team was created as the ‘99s with the intent of providing a place for women who have graduated from junior hockey a chance to play the sport they love beyond the age of 21.
“Because of that history we’ve been motivated to keep the team going and wanted to provide that opportunity to females in the community that come back from university and looking for an extra circular and maybe not ready to play shinny yet, they still have a little bit of competitiveness in them and wanting to play,” said Weese.
Based out of Tamworth’s Stone Mills Recreation Centre, the team competes in tournaments throughout the season with exhibition games mixed in as opposed to playing in a traditional league. That flexibility allows players to balance hockey with everyday adult responsibilities.
The season now wrapped up, they’ll return to action in the fall. For more information on their program, visit www.StoneMillsGirlsHockey.ca.