U15 B Girls qualify for provincial championship

Pictured are the Sam’s Home Hardware U15 B Girls St. Marys Rock, who have earned a spot in the OWHA Provincial Championship in North York April 9-12.

By Spencer Seymour

The Sam’s Home Hardware U15 B Girls St. Marys Rock will compete on the provincial stage when they take part in the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) Championships April 9-12 in North York.

Head coach Dave Bailey said the provincial-final berth was well deserved for the group.

“They earned their way there for sure,” Bailey told the Independent. “I’ve always made provincials the top of the heap in terms of our goals. At the end of tryouts, this is where we wanted to land; so far, we’re on the right path.

“I’m very happy for them and very proud of them. It’s basically the culmination of a season of hard work and dedication and their commitment that got them there.”

Bailey credited the team’s gutsy nature for leading them to the provincial stage.

“They’ve got a lot of heart,” said Bailey. “They’re gritty. They seem to answer the bell when it matters. That doesn’t mean they always win, but they definitely leave it on the ice, and I think we’ve had some reasonable success this season in those moments.

“It doesn’t always matter who’s supposed to be the best team on paper. They’re a hardworking bunch. Our defensive game is very good.”

The consistency of that compete level, according to Bailey, was something the squad built up over their strong season.

“I think it took some time to establish our identity, what we were and who we were. You never know for sure what you’ve got until you see how it works on the ice. We definitely have some skill for sure, but I think our strength is our work ethic. And as the season progressed, through practices and games, I think they realized that they’re going to get as far as the hard work that they put into it. It’s just become more consistent as the season went on.”

Though it was a 5-2 win over Mitchell on March 8 that officially locked the Rock into their spot at provincials, Bailey noted their first provincial playdown game, a 4-0 victory over the very same Mitchell squad, was a pivotal moment in their march towards provincials.

“I think the game that really solidified was the first game we played in the provincial playdowns against Mitchell. We went in there and beat them 4-0, and after I saw that, I had a pretty good feeling about our chances. We hadn’t beaten them up to that point, but we went in and looked very dominant. Even though it was early, that game really set a tone for the rest of the provincial playdowns for us.

“There’s a lot of parity in the league playoffs, and we finished in the top tier, which was our goal,” Bailey continued. “But there were no easy games anymore. There were no weak sisters to play against. They were all good teams, so everything was a battle. In the end, I think it made us better and more prepared for provincials.”

For many of the team’s players, it is their second time going to provincials after making it there last season, which Bailey said provided valuable experience to the group after getting back to the all-Ontario tournament again this year.

“Nine girls from the team that I coached last year are on this team again, and at that time, when we qualified for provincials with my group last year, only two of the 14 girls had ever been to provincials before,” Bailey said. “Now, nine that were with me last year are here this year, but it’s a conquest to get out of our zone to begin with.

“I think the girls realize how special this is. They laugh and joke around a lot. We’ve got very good team chemistry, but even in the practices we’ve had since qualifying, I can tell they understand what they’ve done and what they’re hoping to do moving forward. So, I think it’s a pretty big deal for them.”

According to Bailey, the team’s work ethic, as well as breaking through a bit more offensively, will be vital to finding success at provincials.

“We need to outwork everybody we see and we need to find a little bit of offence. That’s been missing a bit in our game, I would say. It’s like hitting in baseball. One day, the ball is the size of a beach ball, and the next, it’s the size of a marble. I think, when we do have offensive success, it’s contagious and it snowballs from there.”