Under-Wolves shine at Provincial Championship!
Sagamok’s Jacinta Eshkawkogan, Mindemoya’s Delaney Bridgeman and their Sudbury Lady Wolves (SLW) teammates were in Brampton for the U18 AA Tier 1 Provincial Championships this past weekend. This is huge! The Wolves were representing the north against the 23 best Tier 1 teams province has to offer, with the right to compete for Ontario in the Esso Cup Canadian Championship on the line!
The provincially ranked No. 22 SLW girls opened Thursday night against the (No. 14 ranked) Ottawa Lady Senators. Despite a hard fought, evenly matched battle, the SLW fell 3-1. This effectively put them in a win or go home position, as all teams only had three round-robin games, and to stay in the tournament they needed to finish 1st or 2nd in their division of four.
Responding well Friday morning, the girls faced the St. Catherine’s Brock Jr. Badgers and dispatched them 4-0. Next up was a date with the Brampton Canadettes, the provincial No. 2 side and one of the pre-tournament favourites. A 1 to 1 tie was winding down when Jacinta spotted line-mate Delaney open in the slot, hit her with a beautiful pass that Delaney quickly roofed for the game winner in an eventual 3-1 victory, securing the girls a 2nd place finish in their division and knocking out the heavily favoured Canadettes!
Saturday morning saw the SLW side take on the No. 16 Cambridge Roadrunners in the actual elimination round. The game was tight, the 0-0 score requiring overtime to solve, and Delaney once again came through burying a pass from the corner from captain, Aoife Mahaffy to net the game winner. The 1-0 OT win advanced Sudbury to Saturday afternoon’s quarter final against the formidable No. 3 Whitby Wolves.
In the quarters, it was looking like OT would be needed again, unfortunately the Whitby side potted the winner with just 28 seconds left, and just as quickly as that, the 3-2 loss meant the 2021-2022 season was over for the Lady Wolves. While it may not have been the achievement some had in mind, a top-eight finish is a fantastic outcome, earned through your hard work and season long dedication. Great job Jacinta, Delaney and your Lady Wolves teammates!
World-champ hoop dancer performs at Raptors game!
Wiikwemkoong’s Lisa Odjig, a former two-time world hoop dance champion shared her amazing dance skills with another huge audience this past weekend. Congratulations to Ms. Odjig, who was invited to share her gifts at the half-time show at the Raptor’s recent season ending game.
Emergency sports grant available!
“Has the pandemic affected sport and recreation activity in your community?” This is the question that the Ontario Sport Network has been asking. Appointed by the province to deliver a one-time, relief fund targeting community level sport and recreation groups organizations, the OSN is taking applications. So, if your club, team, league or associations has sustained losses due to COVID-19, take note.
Grants will be issued to organizations that demonstrate the greatest financial need and a strategy to use the grant to sustain their programming. This is an exciting grant opportunity for your organization to move forward and stabilize your programming and financial situation. Sound like your/our situation? Please visit the OSN website for a chance at this valuable offer.
Curling wrap!
The Providence Bay Junior Curling program ended its season with a Wind-Up Funspiel on April 2. Curlers participated in on-ice curling, floor curling and even other off-ice activities like a scavenger hunt. At the end of the day, the team of Silva Verboom, Adam Spry, Cordelia McLean, Alice McIntosh took the top spot. Congratulations!
In the draw to the button competition, Tommy Joyce, the second youngest curler at age 6, took the honours with his draw all the way down the ice to the four-foot ring! To put this in perspective, Tommy, not too much heavier than the 40-pound stone, made a shot many of us couldn’t! Way to go Tommy!
The organizers/coaches wanted to extend a big thank you for a wonderful season to all their junior curlers, which also included Harmony, Oliver and Delilah Symons, John and Liam McLean, Eric Wahl, Mady Keller, Devon and Shawn MacKelvie, Rosie Duguay, Jasmine Paquet, David and Lauralynn Cooper, Charleigh Carrick, David and Sarah Joyce, Nico and Lucie Long, Lexi Fisher, Sara Marie Wassegijig, Spencer and Parker Johnston.
Of course, it should go without saying (but won’t) that these amazing memories from the weekend and all season long could not have happened if people had not stepped up. Thanks to coaches Allison Orford, Marc Lefebvre and Angela Johnston.
A good sport is good for sports.
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