SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — The Western Wind is hoping to write another chapter in what has been a memorable 2018-19 season.
Next up for the Summerside-based team, which won all six playoff games en route to winning the P.E.I. Midget AAA Female Hockey League championship after posting a regular-season record of 22-1-1 (won-lost-tied), is representing Canada’s smallest province at the Atlantic championship in Bathurst, N.B.
“We have worked hard these past few weeks, and we deserve it,” said Wind forward Paige Deighan of Wilmot Valley. “I think we will do great.”
Click here for story on Western Wind winning P.E.I. Midget AAA Female Hockey League championship:
The tournament features the provincial champions from P.E.I., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and the host Northern Lightning. The Wind’s first game is against Nova Scotia on Thursday at 4 p.m.
“Everyone is pretty excited,” commented 17-year-old Wind goaltender Talynn Banks of Tyne Valley. “Some are also probably nervous. Myself, I haven’t gone before, so it should be a good experience.”
Wind forward Kylie Campbell of Summerside will be playing in her first Atlantic midget championship, but she has previous experience playing in the regional bantam tournament.
“All the teams are pretty much equal,” said Campbell, 15. “It’s pretty fast and all the girls are going to be skillful.
“But we deserve to be there just as much as they do, and I think we have a good chance.”
Click here for story on Western Wind team captain Gracyn Handrahan:
Format
The teams will play a single round robin, with the top two teams meeting in Sunday afternoon’s final. The third- and fourth-place teams will meet in the bronze-medal game Sunday morning.
“We are just going to play our own game, and keep it simple,” said Campbell. “We want to get pucks deep, work hard and do our own thing.”
Banks noted she is expecting the Wind to face stiffer competition, including more difficult shots.
“I’m expecting faster teams, and teams who are capable of doing different things,” noted Banks, who added the importance of strong starts to each game.
“For us, it’s really important,” said Banks. “I find the better we start, the better we play the rest of the game.”
Deighan feels the speed of the game is one area the Wind will have to adjust to.
Of the participating teams, the Wind has only faced the host team twice, losing in the semifinals of the Dairy Queen tournament in Moncton, N.B., and the Sweetheart tournament in Cornwall.
“Since we’ve played them in the Sweetheart in February, we have improved a lot,” said Deighan, 17.
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Schedule
Western Wind’s schedule at Atlantic championship:
Thursday, April 4
4 p.m. – vs. Nova Scotia.
Friday, April 5
1 p.m. – vs. Host.
Saturday, April 6
9 a.m. – vs. Newfoundland and Labrador.
3 p.m. – vs. New Brunswick.
Sunday, April 7
9 a.m. – Bronze-medal game (third- and fourth-place teams).
Noon – Gold-medal game (first- and second-place teams).
