The Paul Van Gerwen Sun Life Meteor Atom Girls 'C' team finished off an undefeated weekend by winning the championship at the Stratford Aces Festival Cup Tournament held November 16-18th. Led by Ava Harmer's two goals and solid goaltending by Alissa Insley, the Meteors defeated the host Stratford Aces for the second time in the tournament by a score of 2-1 in the final.
The girls opened their six-game weekend schedule on Friday morning in Milverton, downing the Upper Maitland Mustangs by a score of 4-3. Mitchell would open the scoring midway through the first as Alayna McKay would find the net, assisted by Ava Harmer and Zoey Michel. Moments later Tegan Mace would score the first of her two goals from Haileigh Templeman and Camryn Medhurst, with Templeman also drawing an assist on Mace’s second goal later in the game. The Mustangs battled back in the second period to tie it 2-2. Abigayle Van Bakel would add an insurance goal from Grace Bach late in the third. Upper Maitland would score once more with 24 seconds remaining to come within one goal, but the Meteors would hold on for the win.
Game two was later that same day also in Milverton, with the West Oxford Inferno as the opponent. Looking to avenge a loss earlier in the season at home, the Meteors came out firing and built a 5-0 lead after two periods of play. Templeman and Harmer led the attack with two goals each, and Mace would also score. Van Bakel would record three assists and Medhurst a pair, while single helpers were awarded to Michel, Mace, and McKay. West Oxford would score a couple of early third period goals to begin battling back, but the Meteors would hang on for the 5-2 win.
The girls would open Saturday play in Stratford against the host Stratford Aces, narrowing winning a tight-checking game 1-0 as Macie Russwurm would post the shutout in net. Michel was the lone unassisted goal scorer for Mitchell.
The final round robin game was also in Stratford later that day, as the Meteors would face Ilderton, having just defeated them on the road a couple of weeks earlier. Ilderton would open the scoring late in the first, but Mitchell would tie it up as Templeman would score the first of her two goals, adding an empty netter in the final minute of play to secure the win. Harmer added a goal and two assists in the effort, and Van Bakel and Michel were also awarded single helpers to earn the Meteors a berth in the semi-final.
After securing the top seed going into Sunday morning’s semi-final, the Meteors again drew the Upper Maitland Mustangs at 8am in St Marys. The Mustangs struck first this time, scoring on a tough angle that bounced off of Russwurm’s pad and in. Answering back quickly was Van Bakel 11 seconds later to tie the game, assisted by Emma Groenestege. Harmer would score the eventual game-winning goal moments later, assisted by Mace and Templeman. McKay from Medhurst and Michel followed by Harmer unassisted would round out the scoring and send the locals into the final to face the host Aces once again.