Apr 11, 2023 | Carolyn McCorkindale | 205 views
WOGHL U-18 Champions
The streaking Mitchell Van Gerwen/Sunlife U18 girls hockey team – a squad with only one third-year player – captured the Western Ontario Girls Hockey League (WOGHL) championship with a thrilling 1-0 overtime victory over Tillsonburg in Komoka on April 1st. U18 Meteors take aim at OWHA title after winning league crown in overtime.
Now, they have their sights set on the provincial ‘C’ championship this weekend in the Greater Toronto Area. Brooklyn Boville banged home her own rebound with less than four minutes left in overtime to defeat Tillsonburg during the WOGHL championship day. Raylyn Bambrough and Shawni DeJong shared the shutout in goal, aided as usual by stingy defensive play. “It was such an amazing game,” said head coach Jordyn Elgie. “Overtime was good. The girls all played well again.”
That would be an understatement as the Meteors have lost just once in their last 21 games, or since a tournament in London in early February. (They hated the losing feeling so much they rebounded to win that tourney). Only forward Charlee Feltz is in her third and final year in the U18 division and has been a leader offensively down the home stretch and especially the playoffs, Elgin said. The team has an overall record of 37-6-3 and are unbeaten in nine games heading into the provincials, a 16-team event slated for April 14-16.
In pool play, Mitchell will face teams they have already beaten at some point during the season, two of which came in the Brantford tournament two months ago, Brockville and Kincardine. The Meteors will face Brockville this Friday, April 14 at 10:30 a.m. then face Kincardine at 5:15 p.m., both at the Ajax Arena. The club will complete pool play against league rival West Oxford the next day, Saturday, April 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the York Arena. Mitchell defeated West Oxford all five times they played them during the season, so playing with a target on their back as favourites won’t be easy, Elgin noted. The top two teams in each pool will advance to the quarter-finals Saturday night, April 15, with the semi-final and final set for Sunday, April 16.
In recent exhibition games to prepare for provincials, the Meteors skated to a 1-1 tie with St.Marys March 28, entered in the U18 ‘B’ division of provincials, as Andrea Kelly tied the game in the second period after the Rock opened the scoring on the power play. A day after winning the WOGHL title, Mitchell edged South Huron, another participant in the ‘C’ provincials.
Article by Andy Bader, Mitchell Advocate