The Courtenay Whalers trekked up to Port Hardy this past weekend for the Port Hardy Wild Hockey Tournament (aka the Hardy Party). In an effort to defend their title as champions from last year’s tournament, the women played five games, two on Friday night, two on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Friday night’s first game was a tough one against the Port Hardy Wild. A young goaltender in the Wild’s net kept the puck out for much of the first period. The Whaler’s eventually capitalized and found the back of the net with only a few minutes left in the period. Heading into the second period, the Whalers were confident. However, the Wild were able to add a goal to their side of the scoreboard, tying up the game. Winding down into the last few minutes of play, Whalers took the lead with a beauty of a goal by Tera Kasabuchi. The pressure was on for the Wild, who pulled their goalie, but that was a loss cause as Jess Sekulich was able to solidify the win with an empty net goal. Final score was 3-1 for the Whalers.
The second game against the Juiceheads was another tough battle. The Whalers were quick to get on the scoreboard with two goals in the first. Unfortunately the Juiceheads were able to come back and score two in return. The first period ended in a 2-2 tie. Heading into the second period, tensions were high and the pressure was on. The Whalers scored, only to have the Juiceheads return and score on them. Winding down into the last minutes the game, a miscall on a play ended with the Juiceheads scoring their final goal. The final score was 4-3 for the Juiceheads.
The next morning, after a good night’s rest, the team headed to the rink. This time they met the Port McNeil Downpour. McNeil’s weak offense and goaltending was no match for the Whalers, and a solid team effort shut them down, final score of the game was 12-0 for the Whalers.
Later on Saturday, the team met Port Hardy’s second team, 2 Wild. The Whaler’s showed another great team effort, in a game full of solid passes and fantastic offensive play. The first period was a little slow, with the Whalers only posting one goal; the second period found the women on track and four more goals were added. Final score was 5-0 for the Courtenay Whalers.
Heading into the finals on Sunday, the team once again met one of the home teams, the Port Hardy Wild. Lots of great end to end action in the first period, but it seems the Whalers tired out the Wild, as the second period found the play mostly in the Wild’s end. Goaltending was solid for both teams, but on a short break away, Jess Sekulich was able to go top shelf on the Wild’s young goalie, scoring the lone goal of the game. Final score was 1-0 for the Whalers, another first place finish in Port Hardy!
The team continues to work hard during their Thursday night practices, brushing up their stick work and perfecting their defensive and offensive plays.
For more info in joining the Courtenay Whaler’s Women’s Hockey team, check out their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/courtenaywhalers/), or email them at: cvwhalershockey@gmail.com
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