U13 BB Girls capture silver at provincials

The Cascades U13 BB Girls St. Marys Rock took the silver medal at the OWHA Provincial Championships April 10-12. Pictured in the first row, from left to right, are Alex Harlton and Jaynie Johnston. In the second row, from left, are Cassie Adams, Amelia Falkiner, Charlotte Jeffreys, Emily Chateauvert, Evelyn McAlister and Addison Hudson. In the third row, from left, are Camille Crummer, Lauren Masselis, coach-trainer Eve Greig, Kylie Blake, Jaelyn Seok, Charlotte Heinbuck, Sam Matheson and Jessica Zwambag. In the back row, from left, are coach Ian Johnston, coach Dave Blake, head coach Jamie Matheson and coach Tyler Dingman. Not pictured is Kathleen Heinbuck.

By Spencer Seymour

The Cascades U13 BB Girls St. Marys Rock brought home a silver medal and a finalists’ banner from the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) Provincial Championships April 10-12.

Head coach Jamie Matheson credited his squad with turning in some of their best hockey of the season.

“From a coaching standpoint, what stood out most was how the girls elevated their level of play when it mattered most,” said Matheson. “Our message all weekend was to bring the will and trust the process, and the results would take care of themselves. The group fully bought in, playing for each other and for the logo on the front of the jersey, which was especially evident through a demanding roundrobin, and carried us all the way into the final.”

Matheson added the season surpassed what they had set out to do thanks to a strong blend of abilities between the returning core and the rookie additions.

“This season was honestly unbelievable,” said Matheson. “Going into it, we didn’t really know what to expect. As a coaching group, we knew we had a talented core of secondyear players returning, girls who already had the skill and work ethic. When we added the firstyear players we did, we believed we had a group that could skate, compete and outwork any team in Ontario.”

That strong team unity was forged over the course of a year, during which the team, according to Matheson, continued to find more self-confidence.

“The biggest challenge early wasn’t ability, it was belief. We had to convince the girls just how good they could be and help them understand that they belonged at the top of this level. Once that confidence started to grow, everything changed and you could see it game in and game out. They bought into the process completely, pushed themselves every day and raised their standard as a group. What they accomplished this season went far beyond our expectations. They exceeded them by a mile, and as a coaching staff, we can’t thank these girls or their parents enough for a great season.”

To make it to the championship game and ultimately come away with the silver, the Rock picked up a 3-1 win over the London Devillettes in the semis.

“The semi-final was a rematch from the week before, when we faced London at the (Western Ontario Girls Hockey League) Day of Champions, so we knew they were coming in hungry for redemption. The girls brought an unbelievable amount of will and heart, playing for each other shift after shift. It was a true heavyweight battle between the number one team in Ontario and the number four team, and our group rose to the moment when it mattered most.”

St. Marys opened the scoring in the first period when Cassie Adams buried a beautiful rebound, with assists from Kylie Blake and Jessica Zwambag, to give the Rock an early 1-0 lead. The girls carried that advantage into the second period thanks to relentless forechecking pressure from the forwards and strong defensive play in their own end by Emily Chateauvert, Sam Matheson, Camille Crummer and Alex Harlton. Centres Jaynie Johnston, Kylie Blake and Jaelyn Seock took care of the draws and pushed the other teams hard all weekend.

The team’s secondyear players, including Adams, Crummer, Lauren Masselis, Charlotte Heinbuck, Charlotte Jeffreys and Evelyn McAllister, were huge in keeping everyone positive and confident, no matter the score.

The bench boss also praised the team’s netminders, Jeffreys and McAllister, for their stellar efforts in between the pipes.

“Goaltending was a huge part of our success as well,” said Jamie Matheson. “Charlotte (Jeffreys) and Evelyn (McAllister) saved their best hockey for the most important weekend of the season, coming up with big saves at key moments throughout the tournament. Whether it was round-robin play, the quarter finals, or the semi-finals, both were calm, confident and tremendous when we needed them most. They gave our group belief every game.”

Early in the second, Harlton sparked the offence with a strong rush into the London zone, dishing the puck out front to Amellia Falkiner, who calmly tapped it home to make it a 2-0 game. London pushed back hard and, refusing to go away after losing to St. Marys the previous weekend, finally broke through with just 41 seconds left in the second to cut the lead to 2-1.

In the third period, Crummer delivered what may have been one of the biggest rushes of the season, powering the puck up ice and finishing the play herself to restore the twogoal cushion and make it 3-1. Between the pipes, McAllister was outstanding, turning aside wave after wave of pressure and playing one of her strongest games of the year to help St. Marys through the Devilettes and into the finals.

Though they didn’t come away with the top prize in the finals, Jamie Matheson explained how the silver medal was a massive accolade for the Rock.

“Taking silver at provincials meant everything to this group. It validated the commitment they made back in September when they took on the challenge of moving up to the BB level. They worked through adversity, including broken collarbones, a dislocated thumb and a fractured wrist at the worst time of the year, but they trusted each other and grew together as a team and grew into a family.

“This proved they belonged at that level,” Jamie Matheson continued. “For the girls, it was a moment to feel proud of how far they’ve come, not just for the result, but for the work ethic, resilience and belief they showed all year.”