CANORA - When the Prairie Ice U15 girls hockey team entered its first season of play about a year ago, there was a lot of excitement among players, coaches and families. Unfortunately, the season ended almost before it began after only one home game in Canora due to the pandemic.
But Meridee Kopelchuk of Canora, team manager, said things are looking promising for the team at the start of the 2021/22 season after playing in the Sask Challenge Cup Tournament in Saskatoon from October 8 to 10.
“Prior to the tournament, the girls only had two practises, one in Yorkton and one in Bredenbury,” said Koplechuk. “But in our first game against the Regina Rebels we came away with a 9 to 5 victory.”
Goal scorers included: Alaina Roebuck of Buchanan with a hat trick, one each from Jessee Kopelchuk of Canora, Hayden Krawetz of Kamsack, and Jordyn Severson of Pelly.
The second game of the tournament against the Saskatoon Comet ended in a tense 3 to 2 victory for the Ice.
“The game was tied at 2 to 2 until Alaina scored with only 1:35 left on the clock,” reported Kopelchuk. “Camryn Nelson of Preeceville also scored a goal. In the third game the girls fought hard but started to show some fatigue, and lost 4 to 0 to Saskatoon Comet Chargers.”
Prairie Ice earned a spot in the A-side semifinal game versus the Saskatoon Comet Vipers.
“It was a hard-fought game that went into overtime,” shared Kopelchuk. “The girls struggled with penalties and an unfortunate interference call contributed to the winning goal for the Vipers.
Jessee Kopelchuk was chosen for the tournament all-star team, and goalie Brooke Taylor of Kamsack “was a standout in net, after not having played for two years,” said Kopelchuk. “The girls worked hard all weekend, and really passed the puck well.”
After the tournament, the team went on a road trip to Melville to open the season in the Saskatchewan Female League 15U A Division with a 4 to 0 win over the Parkland Fire on October 16.
“The girls played well and once again passed well on a big sheet of ice. Brooke Taylor earned the shutout in goal. Jordan Severson and Jessee Kopelchuk each scored a goal.”
Among the players on the team are: Katherine Hauber, Jessee Kopelchuk, Paisley Wolkowski, Makayla Heshka and Kaelyn Shukin of Canora; Jenaya Stevenson of Cote First Nation; Haven Krawetz and Brooke Taylor of Kamsack; Jordan Severson of Pelly, and Camryn Nelson of Preeceville, as well as players from Yorkton and Theodore.
The team plays in a league which included 30 teams from all over the province, but in the southeast region there are seven teams: Prairie Fire, Parkland Fire, Weyburn, Estevan, Balcarres and two Regina teams.
Even though the team is only in its first full season, Kopelchuk is quite pleased with how things are going so far.
“We’ve had really good parent support, good coaching, and the girls have bonded quickly.”
The head coach is Ryan Hauber of Canora. The assistant coaches are: Nicole Korpusik of Norquay, Jessee Nelson of Preeceville, and Andrew Severson and Sara Auchstetter of Pelly.
A successful team fundraiser project also turned out to be a good team building exercise. The players got together and collected sunflowers from a cover crop field on the Kopelchuk family farm.
“They bundled up the sunflowers and sold them for $25 each, which raised approximately $3,000” said Kopelchuk. “Camry Nelson then delivered extra leftovers to Preeceville residents in need of some cheering up.”
The goals for the members of the Prairie Ice include success in hockey, but also developing them into well-rounded individuals.
“We’re hoping they building life-long friendships, expose the girls to some excellent coaching, assist in their mental health and in community involvement,” concluded Kopelchuk.
Prairie Ice’s upcoming schedule includes two road games in Estevan on November 20 and 21. The team then stays home until Christmas, with games at the Canora Civic Centre on November 28 versus Regina, December 12 versus Weyburn, and December 18 and 19 versus Balcarres, followed by the Christmas break.
