Wilmot Wolverines U11 Yellow take silver at 2025 Kyla Kowalik Memorial Tournament

Pictured is the Wilmot Wolverines U11 Yellow, which secured silver medals at the 16th annual Kyla Kowalik Memorial Tournament at the Wilmot Recreation Complex Jan. 10-12. In no particular order, members of the team are Madison Busija, Clair Ally, Anna Bryson, Emily Carter, Harper England, Keira Forler, Isla Grant-Haight, Amelia Greenley, Vanessa Hynes, Sarah McLean, Alexandra Osinkowsi, Hailey Schiedel, Blake Stevens and Tenley Weber. Leading the team was head coaches Kayla Dickie and Steve Carter, assistant/goalie coach Hayden Henry, and trainers Amanda Stevens and Jessica Forler. Photo courtesy of Candice Greenle. Candice Greenley photo

By Galen Simmons, Regional Editor

After what started as a bit of a mixed bag with a loss and a tie in the team’s first two games of the 2025 Kyla Kowalik Memorial Tournament last weekend, the Wilmot Wolverines U11 Yellow came back to secure silver medals.

Hosted by the Wilmot Girls Hockey Association at the Wilmot Recreation Complex Jan. 10-12, the Wilmot Wolverines U11 Yellow started the 16th annual tournament with a 3-2 loss to the Waterloo Ravens and a 0-0 tie with Woolwich on the tournament’s first day.

In Game 3 on Jan. 11 – the game that determined whether Wilmot would advance to the semi-finals – Wilmot downed Oakville 3-0. Wilmot finished second in Pool A, moving on to the seme-finals against the Lakeshore Lightning.

In their first game of the final day of the tournament, the Wolverines added another win to their record, defeating Lakeshore – the team that finished first in Pool B with an undefeated record – with a final score of 2-1. While Lakeshore put up the first tally in that matchup, Wilmot’s Emily Carter responded with two goals to secure the victory for her team.

In the final game of the tournament, the Wolverines once again faced off with the Waterloo Ravens. While the first period was back and forth, the Ravens managed to score before the period ended, putting them up by one. The second period was scoreless but eventful as Carter received a penalty for tripping. In the third, Wilmot was again penalized, this time for having too many players on the ice, giving Waterloo the chance it needed to score the team’s second goal of the game with the man advantage.

Carter responded later in the third for the team’s only goal of the match, resulting in silver medals for the home team.

Every member of the U11 Wilmot team worked hard to get the silver medal. Goalie Keira Forler made several incredible saves to keep her team in the game and showcase her exceptional skill and composure under pressure throughout the tournament.

Wilmot’s Anna Bryson also won U11 fastest skater in the skills competition held Jan. 11 at 3 p.m.