The final day of the Etobicoke Dolphins,
Pink The Rink tournament saw the Perth Auto Dismantlers Atom A girls challenged
in the fullest extent. The first game of the day, at the crack of dawn, would
see the girls meet regular season rivals, Saugeen Maitland Lightning.
The game got off to a fast-paced start, which had the team strategizing on the fly, shifting gears frequently in order to keep the grueling pace the opposing team set. Unable to land the puck in the net, they left the rink after a disappointing loss of 4-0.
The girls regrouped, relaxed and returned to the Scotiabank Pond in a solid 3rd place in their pool, earning them a spot in the elimination round, resetting the ranks across the board. In this fourth and deciding game, they took on the Gloucester-Cumberland Stars.
Playing with speed and intelligence, the Aces were ready to show the rowdy spectators they were there for only one thing. To win.
Both teams used speed and their passing skills throughout the entire game, to battle it out, landing the girls in a 1-1 tie at the end of the game.
Our goal, having been scored by Emersyn Miller, and assisted by Lila Mortimer, would prove to be the only goal the Atom A girls were able to get past the goaltender and suffered a heart-breaking loss in a sudden-death overtime period. The final score ending up at 2-1.
Goaltender Sloane Cameron, who could occasionally be seen defying gravitational laws, and centreman, Emersyn Miller, who scored the lone goal this game, were both awarded game MVP.
All in all, the tournament proved to be exciting, challenging and a ton of fun for these young girls, who displayed grace and grit throughout the weekend. Not only are they incredibly skilled on the ice, but the leadership and comradery is something they can take with them to the rink each time they gather to face off against another opponent.
Submitted by: Holly Mortimer