The St. Christopher Cyclone's girls hockey team won a bronze medal at the Ontario Provincial Championships (OFSAA) last Friday in Stratford.

The girls played 6 hockey games over the three day tournament and posted a record of 4 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie.

The Cyclones, who qualified for the tournament by defeating Leamington District High School earlier this month, were seeded 13th out of 16 high school teams from across the province.

The girls started the tournament with a decisive 4-0 win over the St. Charles College Cardinals (Sudbury). The Cyclones followed with a tough fought 2-2 tie with the Beaver Brae HS Broncos (Kenora). This game proved to be a rough affair with the Cyclones losing one of their offensive stars for the balance of the tournament, Kassie Roache, who broke her collar bone after being checked heavily into the boards. Despite this setback, the Cyclones did find their winning ways in their third game of the round robin tournament format with a 2-0 victory over the Kincardine Knights.

In the quarter final game the St. Christopher team drew a tough opponent in the St. Josephs Rams from St. Thomas. The St. Chris team fell behind 1-0 in the first period and the Rams managed to maintain the lead until 9 minutes remained in the third period when Janelle Labadie scored the tying marker unassisted. With 6 minutes remaining St. Christophers Labadie sniped her second goal of the game assisted by Emily Donkers giving the Cyclones the 2-1 lead. Cassie Kerrigan remained a tower of strength in the Cyclone goal as the St. Josephs team pulled their goalie for the extra attacker and peppered Kerrigan with several shots in the final few seconds of the game, all of which Kerrigan successfully turned aside to secure the St. Chris victory.

In the semi-final game the Cyclones encountered a buzz saw in the St. Theresa Titans (Belleville); the Titans had not given up a goal in the tournament and had defeated one team in the tournament by a 15-0 score. The Cyclones gave a determined effort but fell 4-0 (empty net goal), with the tournaments leading scorer netting a hat trick against the St. Chris team.

That set up a bronze medal game show down with the Kincardine Knights who had lost in the other tournament semi-final game. Allie Regan of the Cyclones opened the scoring in the first period with a beautiful goal assisted by Amy Rawlings and Emily Donkers. The St. Chris team held this 1-0 lead until late in the third period when Kincardine tied the game on a powerplay with 3 minutes remaining. The Cyclones continued to run into some penalty trouble in the final 2 minutes of regulation play, but with some fine penalty killing and a little luck (the Knights hit the post with 30 seconds remaining in the game), the Cyclones held on to force overtime.

It was 2 minutes into the overtime frame when the Cyclones generated a two on one with Danielle Girard streaking down the left side boards entering the Knights zone. Girard was able to pass the puck by the Kincardine defender to Sierra Butler who, from the right of the Kincardine net managed to beat the Knights goaltender to the low right side to win the bronze medal game in dramatic fashion for the St. Christopher Cyclones.

The leading point scorer for the Cyclones in the tournament was Janelle Labadie with 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists). Other key Cyclone goal scorers over the tournament were Val Spano, Sammi Pakvis, Allie Regan, Amy Rawlings, Kim Poole, and Kassie Roache. The defensive core for the Cyclones (Emily Donkers, Danielle Quinn, Celine Norman, and Danielle Girard) were a defensive juggernaut throughout the tournament. And Cassie Kerrigan was superb in net, as she has been for the Cyclones through the entire season.

It was a terrific conclusion to a great season for the Cyclones. It was their first visit in the schools history to the provincial high school championship. And winning the bronze medal, reflecting they are the third best girls hockey team in the province, is a terrific way to conclude the teams season; particularly for the departing grade 12 players (Danielle Girard, Celine Norman, Bianca Sfalcin, Michelle Knott, and Sierra Butler).

Fortunately the Cyclones team has a deep lineup with many young, skilled players returning and after tasting bronze this season the Cyclone girls intend to make a determined effort to be next seasons provincial gold medalists.