TIGNISH, P.E.I. — Bailey Jones has high expectations for her Western Wind bantam AAA girls’ hockey team which leaves Wednes
day for Clarenville, N.L., and the Atlantic championship.
The hope is they return with gold medals to cap off a special season.
“Skating is one of our strengths. We work the puck down low and we create opportunities to score,” she said.
The Tyne Valley-based Wind, made up of players from Summerside to Tignish, swept the Central Storm to win the best-of-five provincial championship series two weeks ago.
Jones’ goal, and the ultimate goal of all her teammates is yet to be met, but coach Kyle Fraser likes their chances.
“We know we’re in the running as well as anyone else. It’s just . . . whose weekend it is.”
During tournament games, the Wind had a tie and a pair of one-goal losses, including one in overtime, against the Moncton team, and a pair of one-goal losses against the Nova Scotia representatives from Truro. The Newfoundand teams at Atlantics, are unknowns, Fraser admitted.
“Basically, our game is contributed to team. We’re bound through 17 hockey players. We don’t have to rely on anyone; we get scoring by committee,” said the coach.
“We think we’re a contender.”
Second-year defenceman and team captain Lauren Clark from Linkletter thinks the team is ready, too.
“We’ve been on the ice quite a bit since we won (provincials) and off-ice training too.”
First-year defenceman Erin Rennie said the Wind is a hard-working club.
“We’re kind of small, so we use our speed to win, I guess,” she said.
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Clark is also encouraged about the Wind’s fundraising efforts, noting they received lots of congratulations and best wishes as they went door-to-door on bottle drives and selling tickets. Team members have also raised funds bagging groceries.
Fraser said the Prince County community has been very supportive, and supporters of their online auction were from across the Island.
Although they’ve been practising hard and participating in crossfit routines and doing conditioning work at home, Sunday was the Wind’s first game since winning provincials. They played the Western Wind midgets who are also preparing for Atlantics. The game was played in Tignish, the fifth Prince County rink they have been in since winning provincials.
“It’s going to be a big test for us, but I think that’s what we’re going to face a lot of all weekend, playing against stronger girls, bigger girls, faster girls, and figuring out what we have to do in order to have the most success. That’s basically what this game will bring,” Fraser said.
Besides, he said, it would kick some rust off the blades for both teams.
Many members of the midget team played for the bantam team that advanced to the championship final at Atlantics two years ago.
“I’m expecting the games are going to be really close. I think we are going to work together hard and pull through,” said Jones, a second-year forward from Ellerslie.
