Huskies challenged by shortage of skaters, not ice time or spirit

Ingersoll DCI goalie Jolene Allair follows the puck as her teammate Athena Spriel (right) covers Huron Park’s Alayna Bloomfield (centre). (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

There was no shortage of either ice time or spirit among the Woodstock Huron Park Huskies girls hockey team on Jan. 13 at the Ingersoll District Memorial Centre (IDMC).

Together, eight brave skaters and one stalwart goalie combined on a 1-0 TVRA South East shutout win over the host Ingersoll DCI Blue Bombers.

“I guess we all pushed really hard in this game and it showed,” said Huron Park’s Payton Cowan, who scored the contest’s lone goal in the first minute of the third period, assisted by Brittany Raduc.

“It was kind of unlucky for her (Ingersoll goalie Jolene Allair),” admitted Cowan of a snipe down low that found the five-hole. “It was just on net.”

The Blue Bombers pulled Allair in the game’s final stretch but were unable to come up with the equalizer, Huron Park netminder Courtney DeJeu completing the shutout victory.

“She was lights out, lights out,” credited Huskies coach Brandon Thomas. DeJeu is always solid between the pipes Thomas continued.

“But that’s the best I’ve seen her play.”

IDCI Blue Bomber Jorja Kloepfer gave credit to both DeJeu and Huron Park for a strong effort.

“They were very energetic for only having eight players,” said Kloepfer, an integral part of a 15-member lineup. “I feel we should have popped at least one with all the close calls we had. But sometimes it just doesn’t go your way.”

Although on visitors’ ice, DeJeu had a little ‘home’ advantage given she plays on the Woodstock Wildcats U18 BB hockey team with a number of both Huron Park and Ingersoll teammates. There had been some pre-game discussion on who’d benefit more from knowing each others’ tendencies, shooters or goalie.

“It works both ways, right?” smiled Courtney’s mother Dana, her decided preference for shutout over shootout rewarded on this day.

It is fun to know players on the opposing team, said Huron Park’s Ella Chesney, although it does add pressure.

“Probably more important,” she assessed, “because of the bragging rights.”

“It creates a good competition,” agreed Blue Bomber and Wildcat Reese Ellery, who grabbed a post-game photo with Chesney in front of the home IDCI bench.

Playing against minor hockey teammates while representing one’s high school is not unique to girls’ hockey. The week before, South Oxford Storm teammates from the Ingersoll DCI Blue Bombers and Tillsonburg Glendale Gemini had met in Tillsonburg under similar competitive, yet friendly circumstances.

But there are distinctions. The boys playing together reflects an amalgamation of minor hockey centres in Ingersoll and Tillsonburg competing at a higher combined level, part of a changing minor hockey landscape. For the girls, it arguably represents growth and opportunity for both girl's and women’s hockey in Canada, perfectly backdropped by Ella Shelton’s Team Canada jersey in the IDMC lobby.

It is Shelton’s home arena, a crucial starting point for the world champion, Olympic gold medallist, and New York Sirens defender, selected fourth overall in the inaugural PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) draft.

“It’s possible,” said Kloepfer, who like Shelton, began playing boys’ hockey in Ingersoll before advancing to the London Devilettes program, currently competing with the U18 squad.

Shelton’s exceptional talent and accomplishments are matched by her generosity and approachability credited IDCI coach Jessica Blain.

“She’s very involved in her community.”

Blain recalled the reaction of a group of young players at former Woodstock Navy Vets sniper Pat Sloan’s St. Mary’s Hockey Academy when Shelton humbly introduced herself prior to passing along advice.

“She left and they’re like ‘We know who Ella Shelton is!’” Blain laughed. “They were shell-shocked, they were like ‘Oh my gosh!’”

Kloepfer calls Shelton a great role model, especially for young female hockey players, willing to take time out of her day to give back to her sport and community. Jorja and Ella’s dads are ‘buddies’ Kloepfer continued, farmers who grew up together. She sees Ella on training runs regularly in their neighbourhood during the off-season.

“I look up to her every day.”

Kloepfer, Ellery and Blain all consider themselves fortunate to have seen Shelton’s Olympic gold medal up close and personal, although by consensus, should they happen to win one, instead of just a treasured keepsake, it might be worn as a regular fashion accessory, ‘her jewellery’ in the words of Kloepfer.

“All the time,” laughed Ellery.

TVRA South East Girls Hockey

Thursday, January 16

Tillsonburg Glendale 4, Woodstock Huron Park 1

Wednesday, January 15

Woodstock CI 4, St. Thomas St. Joe’s 3

Tuesday, January 14

Lord Dorchester 5, Ingersoll 2

Monday, January 13

Woodstock Huron Park 1, Ingersoll DCI 0

TVRAA South East Boys Hockey

Thursday, January 16

Woodstock St. Mary’s CHS 4, Aylmer East Elgin 4

Wednesday, January 15

St. Thomas St. Joe’s 5, Woodstock College Avenue 0

Thursday, January 14

Ingersoll DCI 6, Huron Park 1

Glendale 5, St. Mary’s CHS 1

Monday, January 13

Ingersoll DCI 2, St. Joe’s 2

Lord Dorchester 6, Woodstock CI 3