Cousins from Campbell River connected for the game-winning goal in the championship game as the North Island Impact captured the provincial midget female hockey title.
With 9:49 remaining in the third period, Olivia Knowles set up her cousin Lisa Lloyd for the deciding goal as the Impact held on for a 4-3 victory over the Richmond Ravens.
The tournament was held March 16-20 in Salmon Arm and started miserably for North Island.
In game one on the first day, the Impact lost 5-3 to Richmond and later that day dropped a 2-1 decision to the host Salmon Arm Silvertips.
But after that the girls buckled down and didn’t lose another game. On Day two, the Impact edged Terrace 3-2 and followed up the next day with a 4-1 win over Cranbrook.
Over the next two days, the North Island Impact got by Surrey 3-2 and then dispatched Kamloops by a whopping score of 6-0.
The victory advanced the Impact to the championship game, a rematch with the Richmond Ravens.
Here’s a description of the game from the provincial website:
“The championship game was the best game of the tournament!
The teams came out flying and we had a real show of back and forth hockey.”
The Impact opened the scoring in the first period when Payton Bray buried the puck for the North island Impact, assisted by Shaylee McConnell.
Richmond’s Yvonne Mikulcik scored shortly later to tie the game, but then Knowles gave North Island a 2-1 lead, assisted by Erin Pickup.
However, Mikulcik’s second of the match tied the game again at the end of the first.
At 12:36 of the second, North Island took a 3-2 lead, but with just over a minute left in the period, Richmond tied it up once again.
Both teams battled in the third, but then the Campbell River cousins came through to give the local girls the game-winning goal and, eventually, the provincial title.
“This game was very exciting and entertaining. It had the fans on the edge of their seats…what a show of talent!”