Provincials. A Tale of Triumph, Adversity & Hot Pink Hats
The Perth Auto Dismantlers Atom A Aces have
spent their entire season preparing for this weekend. It’s been a long road
with more ups than downs, and there was definitely a point in time that no one
was sure we’d be here. But, as kids often do, they don’t show us what they’re
really made of until it’s sure to catch us by surprise. The stats are inserted
at the end of this article, but I thought I’d use this opportunity to give you
a profile of what I’ve observed throughout the season, having the privilege of
being on the outside and occasionally inside the dressing room as ‘sub-sub-sub
trainer’. So, hopefully I’ve got it right and I hope you enjoy.
We’ll start things off with the goaltending duo of Grace Kipfer and Sloan Cameron, respectively #1 and #31.
One of my favourite quotes is from Montreal goaltender, Jacques Plante. He once said, “how would you like a job where every time you made a mistake as big red light lights up and 18,000 people boo?”
I think it’s a universal feeling that being a goalie takes a unique person, let alone young girl who’s just coming into herself and learning to navigate the scary intersection of emotion and logic. Sloan Cameron has the innate ability to set the tone for the game and motivate her teammates. 50% of the time, she’s the last motivating factor prior to the start of the game and having heard her speeches a few times, their impact is pretty impressive. Goalies carry a heavy load both physically and mentally. They’re on the ice for the entire game. Sloan’s mental toughness, her ability to catch a puck like she’s on a ball field instead of the ice surface and those thoughtful, soulful blue eyes allows her teammates to focus on their jobs that much more. Congratulations Sloan.
When she’s not in net, Grace Kipfer’s voice can be heard carrying across the ice, encouraging and excitedly motivating her team towards victory. This is rare for a goalie. With their game being dependent on mental toughness and physical strength, goalies can often be found focusing inward, instead of articulating their excitement outwards. Grace is easily able to move with ease from focused acrobat to excited teammate and this is such a gift for this typically isolating position. She’s the other half of the motivating goaltending team who’s pre-game speeches are a fascinating mix of encouragement and entertainment, and she can split post to post making sure that there are absolutely no chances of a wrap-around goal like nobody’s business. And finally, if there was an award for a young goalie with enough confidence to defend her crease with chirps and aggression, she’d be the winner. Congratulations Grace.
Let’s move up the ice to Defence. With a shortened defensive unit, only four players do the work of a typical 6-person unit. All year long, the blue line brigade used their incredible strength and speed to build a house around their goalie, doing all they could to keep invaders out.
Emma Van Nes, Maren Marshall, Teresa Schuster and Avery Randall spent most of the game on the ice, rarely getting more than a shift or half of a shift of rest, before they sped back out to do it all over again.
When Emma Van Nes hits the ice, you know that she knows her job and she will do what she had to do in order to execute it. Never have I seen a more solid, fearless overall player than Van Nes. She has the innate ability to level the team’s emotions, create change and defend her goalie. Don’t let her freckles and flaming hair fool you. If you’re on the opposite side of bench from her, you are simply not getting anywhere near her net if she can help it. Her grit during Provincials kept the team moving forward and the shots moving in the right direction.
Congratulations Emma.
I’d bet every coach and player made a snap judgement against Maren Marshall when they were sizing her up at puck drop. The tiniest player on the team, Marshall would take on any single player as if size difference didn’t matter at all. Fast enough to sometimes take flight, Marshall sailed into corners with players twice her size, rushed the puck up the boards past wingers waiting to steamroll her, to confidently move the puck into the offensive zone, and then be able to fly back to surprise attack her opponent all without breaking a sweat. Maren, your ability to fearlessly play hockey can’t be matched. Congratulations Maren.
Sitting amongst the four defensive players, Teresa Schuster smiles. She’s smiling because she knows something that a lot of us often forget. Playing hockey is fun. Playing hockey is hard, but if you’re there for the wrong reasons, it will never be fun. Teresa told me that she had a goal at Provincials. It was to say good luck to every player and coach she came across and when she did just that, and only a couple ever responded, she couldn’t figure out why. She said, “I don’t know why only 2 people have said thanks. I want to make sure every player knows I hope they have a great game, whether I know them or not.” I saw this in action. She truly spreads kindness wherever she goes. Teresa has never given up in all the games I’ve seen her play, but more importantly, her spirit has never given up. All teams need a player that holds their mental health in that high regard. Congratulations Teresa.
Avery Randall once said to another player, “When you let your emotions release after a game, it means you’re passionate about playing the game. It means you care about whether you win or lose, and I’m never going to apologize for that.” I think that one of the advantages women have over men in sport is that they are able to harness emotion to push themselves towards a goal, but at the same time, I also think women have an innate ability to think, feel and react in a manner that is incredibly effective. Avery Randall embodies what it means to be a woman in hockey. She’s incredibly intelligent. She creates plays that are always driven by logic and strategy. She’s fast and she delivers. She takes all that emotion, passion and heart to the ice and plays a game that every time she steps off the ice, she can be proud of and she’s definitely no stranger to the penalty box because of it. Congratulations Avery.
Let’s move up the ice to the three lines that move the puck into the offensive zone. Centres and wingers.
Centres Lauren Leis and Emersyn Miller, are surrounded by wingers, Paige Campbell, Ella Taylor, Eve Binns, Jada Houben, Lila Mortimer and Anne Nickel. These are the players that calculate the odds and then ignore them in order to get the puck in the net. That’s their main objective and each one of these girls does it in their own unique way.
Centre Emersyn Miller has the ability to control a puck like no other girl on the team does. Being half the size of most of the players she goes up against, it’s part survival and part innate skill. Being one of only two centres, a lot of expectations are placed on her back. She needs to move the puck to the net, be ready to hop on the ice as if she’s got fresh legs at any given moment, and be ready to play all positions, even goaltender when an empty net is at stake. I’ve seen Emersyn’s face as she skates off the ice, exhausted, frustrated, elated and proud and regardless of which face comes off the ice, when she’s needed back on in less than a minute, she shutters those emotions and hops back on to skate and perform what the coach needs from a centre. Goals. The top goal scorer for the team, Miller can truly say she gives the team everything she has in order get that puck in the net. Congratulations Emersyn.
When Paige Campbell sets foot on the ice, it’s hard for her to come off. It’s not because she’s ignoring the coaches, it’s because she plays with such intensity, that she’s unable to hear or see anything other than the puck, the player she needs to take out and the goaltender on the opposite team. Skating from end to end, often merging figure skating with hockey skills, this tiny dynamo rivals the Energizer Bunny. But not only on the ice. When the chips are down, Paige is the first voice the team hears, leading them in cheer. She simply cannot think of wanting to be anywhere else but on that bench, cheering her team on, skating her heart out and winning these games. That adorable face is her best defense. It will cut you if you’re in her way. Look out. Congratulations Paige.
Every team needs a player that grounds them, that provides stability and that they can look to for guidance. Ella Taylor has the ability to look you in the eye, give it a second and then smile because she’s got your number. On the ice, she can outskate almost any opponent and has been known to chase down a puck with the most amount of disregard for her safety and the only goal of getting a chance to shoot. But what I think is most amazing about Ella is her ability to stand in her own truth. She’s unwaveringly true to herself, loyal to her friends and her quirky sense of humour is such a blessing to her teammates. Every team needs a player who plays with integrity, humour and heart and Ella has these qualities and more. Congratulations Ella.
When you think of the position of centre, your mind automatically goes to skater, playmaker, goal scorer. Of course, Lauren Leis is all of those things. But she’s something deeper than that too. Not one to mince words, Lauren’s presence is just felt by the players around her. Quiet strength, except for when she’s guiding her teammates when they’re unable to find the pass, Lauren does her job and boy, does she do it well. She’s unafraid to hold her opponents, she’s into the boards with full speed, she’s fiercely defending her goalie and house to make sure if she goes down, she goes down fighting. Well acquainted with the penalty box, she lands there because she’s in the play, not watching it happen. Confidence is a rare personality trait in a tween, especially when the stakes are high. Congratulations Lauren.
If you think about the word firecracker, it’s often something that is bright, explosive and fast. Eve Binns reminds me of a firecracker every time she hits the ice. Tiny and fast, she bursts forth from the bench at top speed, no matter how many games she’s played, no matter how tired she is and she does it with a smile on her face. Off the ice, I’ll challenge you to find another player that is so energetic, happy and enthusiastic. Eve gives of herself to her teammates and inspires them to push through the exhaustion. You’d also be hard pressed to find another skater who skates with her entire body like Eve does. She’s able to will every cell inside of her to move in forward motion toward the goal. Congratulations Eve.
You can’t help but notice Jada Houben’s piercing blue eyes when you first meet the winger. Looking into those eyes, you find an old soul. Jada watches the game, observes the plays and moves around the ice with an eye to ensure all is where it’s supposed to be. Observing, thinking, acting on her observations. She moves with strength and grace and a unique confidence, knowing that when it’s time, she’ll be able to deliver the results that the team needs. Old souls like Jada give the team a balanced foundation with a perspective to remain calm and carry on. We’ll do what we have to do and we’ll do it to the best of our ability. Congratulations Jada.
It’s rare you can find a player on a high-level team that can do the work of many and do it well. Lila Mortimer can do just that. Lila’s height and strength have always resulted in her being a clear choice for a defensive player and she’s done so for the 3 years prior to this. However, Lila’s track record as a first year forward proves that having a goal, itemizing the steps needed to achieve said goal and implementing those steps is possible even at a young age. And the end result is a player who can move fluidly from forward to defence when a defenceman finds themselves in the penalty box, and back to forward, without a break in-between. This year, Lila found her strength on the boards, using her height and strength to effectively trap any opposing player looking to skirt around her. Congratulations Lila.
The middle child of 6, Anne Nickel is no stranger to finding her way through a large group of united kids sharing a common goal. And she’s pretty darn good at it. A parent observed over the weekend that Anne is the only player on the team that when a coach ‘coaches’ her on the bench during a game, faces the coach and asks questions back. She’s engaging, curious and fierce. It’s that fierce competitor that climbs out of Anne at every corner. She’s fiercely loyal, fiercely committed to the win and fiercely determined to make her mark on the ice. She skates with her whole upper body, quickly finding the play and inserting herself and her fierceness into the melee, making sure all players know she’s there to win. I observed Anne letting off steam after a hard loss in the parking lot and I was drawn to her intensity and passion that just needed a little extra time to wear off before she could hop in truck and head home. Congratulations Anne.
And now, for the Provincials Stats.
Game 1 – Against Belleville Bearcats
Score – 3-0
Points:
Period 1 – Emersyn Miller from Paige Campbell
Period 1 – Paige Campbell from Ella Taylor
Period 2 – Lila Mortimer from Anne Nickel and Lauren Leis
Congratulations girls on creating some incredible momentum at such an early hour!
Game 2 – Against Ancaster Avalanche
Score – 3-0
Points:
Period 1 – Ella Taylor from Paige Campbell
Period 1 – Jada Houben from Avery Randall
Period 3 – Emersyn Miller from Ella Taylor
In this penalty free game, the girls proved that they deserved their spot at Provincials and they had come to win!
Game 3 – Against Gloucester Stars
Score – 3-3
Points:
Period 3 – Lauren Leis from Eve Binns
Period 3 – Emersyn Miller from Teresa Schuster
Period 3 – Emersyn Miller, unassisted
We were all there. We were all ready to write the game off. We were all refilling our blood pressure meds afterwards. This game offered up probably the most compelling reason I’m into team sports for kids. Win as a team, lose as a team and come back from the abyss of a near loss as a team. Strategy, stress and survival were the names of the game.
Game 4 – We lost. We’re still bitter. But we’ll cherish the weekend more than the loss.
Provincials is a pretty incredible weekend to earn the privilege to participate in. Not everyone gets there. We got there. We dug deep. We came together. We had a great time and we came out in the top 10 Atom A teams in the province. That’s something to talk about.
Until next season begins, I’d like to thank you for reading my articles and giving me great feedback. I’ve loved getting to know your girls and help you spread the word on how incredible their accomplishments have been this year.
Holly