Saskatchewan girls bring home the bronze

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A team from Saskatchewan travelled to Ontario to take part in a historic hockey tournament in April, and managed to bring home a medal for their efforts.

The girls' squad captured the bronze medal at the inaugural National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, held in Akwesasne from April 21 to 27.

Saskatchewan edged Ontario North 5-4 in the bronze-medal contest, while Ontario South blanked Quebec (a team which called itself Eastern Door and The North) 4-0 in the gold-medal match.

"We were shooting for gold but bronze is better than nothing," said Saskatchewan captain Fallon Head, a 16-year-old defender, who also represented her province at the Esso Nationals, the Canadian senior women's tournament held earlier this year in Renfrew and Arnprior, Ont.

Six clubs participated in the girls' category at the Canadian Native tourney. Manitoba and New Brunswick also iced entries in the event, which was primarily for bantam- and midget-aged players (1984-87).

Squads in the girls' category were also allowed to carry a maximum of five overage players, born between 1980-83.

The nationals, which had some of its games held in neighboring Cornwall, also featured a six-team boys' division for bantam and midget players. Saskatchewan did not enter a squad in that event, which was won by Manitoba.

The Saskatchewan girls' club was hoping it would compete in the gold-medal match. And it looked like it just might, especially after the team posted a 3-1-1 round robin record, good for second place behind the 5-0-0 Ontario South squad.

But Saskatchewan was upset 6-4 by Quebec (3-2-0) in their semi-final match-up. Quebec led 5-0 at one point in that contest before Saskatchewan made things interesting by scoring four unanswered goals.

Saskatchewan coach Earl Cameron was satisfied his charges managed to capture some hardware.

"We came in here like everybody else-wanting the gold," he said. "The girls played hard though and were rewarded by it with this bronze medal. It's better than getting nothing at all.

Unfortunately, there are three teams at this event that have to go home with nothing."

With a bounce here or there, Saskatchewan might have returned empty-handed. The team blew a 4-1 lead in its bronze-medal contest. Ontario North deadlocked the score at 4-4 with under two minutes remaining in the third period.

But Saskatchewan forward Sara McKay then saved the day for her squad by scoring the winner with 1:24 left to play in regulation time.

"I just thought I had to get that puck into the net," said McKay, shortly after scoring what she described as the biggest goal of her life.

Danene King had two goals for Saskatchewan in the bronze-medal affair while Corisa Iron and Charmaine Naytowhow provided singles.

Cameron was rather impressed with the calibre of play throughout the tournament.

"The hockey is incredible here," he said. "We knew we had some elite players. But after seeing the other provinces, you realize female hockey has come a long way."

King, a 16-year-old from Meadow Lake, echoed Cameron's sentiment.

"(The calibre) was better than I thought it was going to be," she admitted.

Saskatchewan ended up having five of its players, including its captain, named to the tournament all-star squad. Others who made the grade were King and fellow forward Ruby Norman, blueliner Dayna King and goaltender Kara Pooyak.

A total of 17 female players were chosen as all-stars. Seventeen males were also picked. All of these players also received an invitation to attend a week-long, Native high performance camp to be held in July in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Meanwhile, because of the tournament's success, it is believed that it will become an annual event now. No site has been officially selected for the 2003 championships. A decision was expected by mid-May. Akwesasne officials, though, are rather keen to be hosts once again.

And Cameron said officials from his home province are keen to be involved once again.

"We'll be back," he vowed. "nd we'll have a male team next year as well."

Cameron added Saskatchewan did not ice a boys' team this time around simply because of the possible difficulties of putting together a club. He said many of those who would have been on such a squad had playoff commitments with their Saskatchewan Junior A Hockey League or midget AAA squads.