With a spot in provincials up for grabs, Colby Wilson stopped everything the Williams Lake Timberwolves threw at her.
On Sunday in Williams Lake, Wilson backstopped the WIC bantam female Cougars to a 2-0 victory against the Timberwolves. In a best-of-three Cariboo Amateur Hockey Association playoff, the result gave the Cougars the series win and a spot in the B.C. championship tournament, March 26-31 in Kamloops.
The Cats took Friday's opener 3-2 in a shootout and the T-wolves bounced back with a 2-1 decision on Saturday, both of those games in Prince George.
In Sunday's road game, the Cougars got some early heroics from Wilson and went on to secure the victory.
"Williams Lake came out and had a couple breakaways, just from some defensive breakdowns, and our player of the game I would say was Colby," said Cougars manager Trevor Lutes.
"She stood on her head all game."
The game remained scoreless until late in the second period when Braxtyn Shawara made a slick move and fired a wrist shot past the glove of the Williams Lake goalie.
Then, in the third, team captain Mishayla Christensen scored a shorthanded insurance marker on a power move to the net.
"It was a strong team effort," Lutes said of the win.
"Williams Lake really worked hard. They pressured us the whole time but we just stuck to our game plan and were able to pull it out."
Not including playoffs, Lutes said the Cougars and Timberwolves had 14 head-to-head meetings this season. Most of the games were close - so tight, in fact, the Cats got home-ice advantage for the Cariboo playoffs based on a slightly better goal differential.
Other members of the 13- and 14-year-old Cougars are Olivia Delisle, Coralyn Nichol, Melissa Bell, Miranda Lutes, Jessica Herdman, Rylei Blacker, Cailen Saharchuk, Hayley Stephen, Caitlin White, Camryn Scully, Christy King and Sarah Sampson.
Brett Hickey is head coach and his staff includes Howie Bell, Mitch Shawara and Randy Potskin.
Lutes said the provincial tournament will be a seven-team gathering.
"All our games (against provincial participants) have been close," he said.
"If we can find our scoring touch and stay with our process I think we can surprise some people.
"I think we've got the best goaltender in the province so that's going to help us."
All of this year's B.C. Hockey female championship tournaments will be held in Kamloops, which will be hosting the women's world championship at the same time.
