The New Concept Penguins female hockey team capped its spring season off with a 3-2 record at a tournament in Calgary last weekend.
The squad, the only female spring team north of Vancouver, began the tournament with two losses but turned things around with consecutive wins against the Alberta Slash (7-0), Alberta Avalanche (2-0) and Abbotsford Heat (2-1).
"The teams we play against are practising two to three times per week," said Penguins coach and manager Norm Goetken. "The teams from Calgary play in an actual spring league. The level of hockey is a lot higher than the rep teams the girls play on throughout the year."
Goal scorers for the weekend were: Jordan Shanks and Katie Young with three goals apiece; Mya Ziemer and Sarah Rourke with a pair of goals each, while Megan Goetken, Jordan Mcmillan and Sarah Hermsen added single tallies. Pens goalie Maria Ralph from Dawson Creek was in net for all five games and recorded back-to-back shutouts.
The team is comprised of players from across northern B.C. including 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Smithers, Fort St. James, Dawson Creek and Prince George.
The season runs from the end of March to mid-May. It's the fourth season a bantam female team has taken to the ice in the spring and the club has grown every year with more and more players.
Prior to the Calgary tournament, the Penguins posted a 1-4 record at a tournament in Richmond May 23-25. Two of the losses came against the host Abbotsford Heat, 2-0 and 2-1.
"Having girls from all over, we never had a full practice with all the players," said Goetken. "A lot of the girls start soccer and baseball. Prior to Richmond we played one exhibition game against the peewee boys spring team."
Despite such a short timeframe on the ice, the team bonded well.
"To see the progress from these girls from Richmond to Calgary was amazing," said Goetken. "They played some awesome hockey, and really started to gel as a team. It was like we played together all year. It was really special to see them get the last few wins and a great way to end the season. The girls have such great attitudes and are so fun to be around."
Goetken has plans to form a peewee female spring team in 2015, as well as continue with the bantam program.
