‘Supportive, hungry’ U18 C Girls qualify for provincial championships

The U18 C Girls St. Marys Rock have qualified for the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) Provincial Championships, to be held in Vaughan April 9-12. Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are Silver Breckon, Malaika Kibedi, Ella Frayne, Cortney Linton, Cammie Lobb and Marci Linton. In the back row, from left, are Abbey McMillan, Paisley Wood, Deanna Muir, Kacie Storey, Georgia Edwards, Sunny Derbyshire, Brooklynn Roth, Georgia Agar, Isobel Williams and Chloe Pethick. Not pictured was Sydney Haanstra.

By Spencer Seymour

The U18 C Girls St. Marys Rock will compete at the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) Provincial Championship April 9-12 in Vaughan.

Head coach Kelly Linton explained how the team’s continuous desire for growth led them to qualify for the provincial competition.

“This team qualified for provincials because of their commitment to improving every day and their ability to play as a complete team,” Linton told the Independent. “Their work ethic in practices and games has really set the tone and helped them earn the results needed to reach this point.”

For a team that has been so driven to find ways to improve over the course of the season, Linton noted their biggest area of improvement has been in their overall belief and cohesiveness.

“The biggest growth we’ve seen has been in their confidence and their ability to play as a unit,” said Linton. “Early in the season, we were still figuring things out, but over time, the players really learned to trust each other and communicate better on the ice.”

The qualification for provincials, according to Linton, means a great deal to the entire team, and especially their two graduating players, Cortney Linton and Cammie Lobb.

“Qualifying for provincials means a lot to this group. It’s a reflection of all the hard work they’ve put in throughout the season, from practices to games to tournaments,” Kelly Linton said. “For some, it will be their first time competing at this level and for our two graduating players, it is their last chance in their minor hockey career.

“Provincials is the ultimate goal for this team, but both Cammie (Lobb), who is an assistant captain, and Cortney (Linton), who is our captain, have been instrumental leaders on this team. The skillset they have in terms of their leadership and inclusion has grown over the season, and I am very happy to see them lead their peers into the provincial championship.”

When reflecting on what made this particular team special, Kelly Linton, who has seen many teams in his time coaching minor hockey, noted it was the incredibly supportive nature of the group that stood out to him.

“I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of a number of teams during my coaching career, and what makes this team special is their character and how they support one another. They truly play for each other and celebrate each other’s success. Whether someone is scoring a goal, blocking a shot, or making a key defensive play, the whole bench is behind them. That kind of culture and positive energy has been a big part of what’s made them successful.”

Looking ahead to the provincial championship, Kelly Linton said the team simply needs to continue on the path they took to get to this point.

“To find success at provincials, the team will need to stick to the style of hockey that got them there,” Kelly Linton said. “If they continue to compete, support each other and play with confidence, they’ll give themselves a great chance to succeed.”