An unprecedented number of players from the Kootenay Wildcats were named to the Female AAA Midget All Star team that played in the annual game in Langley on Sunday, Dec. 18.
A total of eight players from the Wildcats cracked the All Star team, somewhat incredible for a young team in a rebuilding year.
Nakusp’s Shea Weighill leads the team in scoring again this year, with seven points in 12 games followed by Haegedorn with six points and Christina Bonacci and Vokeroth-Fisher with three apiece.
In what is a unique process, the selected players were ranked and divided into Blue and White teams so the Wildcat team mates didn’t all end up playing for the same squad.
Exciting the whole way through, Team Blue finished on top after defeating Team White 3-2 in a shootout. The game showcased the best talent that the BC Hockey FMAAA league has to offer.
Team White took an early lead with Miranda Pendergraft (Thompson-Okanagan Rockets) starting off the scoring. Assists came from Shea Weighill (Kootenay Wildcats) and Linda Jensen (Prince George Cougars). Team White’s lead grew as late edition Mckayla Yuris (Kootenay Wildcats), assisted by sister Katie Yuris (Kootenay Wildcats), added another goal to the board.
Team Blue scored their first goal with seven (7) minutes left in the game, scored by Payge Pena (Fraser Valley Phantom) and assisted by Chelsea Wilson (Fraser Valley Phantom). The tying goal came from Madison Sands (Fraser Valley Phantom) with 4:30 left in the game. Sands goal was assisted by Wilson and Mercedes Wright (Prince George Cougars). After pushing it into a shootout, Team Blue came back for the win.
A featured component of the All Star Game is the skills competition held during the game’s intermissions. This year, Weighill made off with the break away skills award.
Kootenay players weren’t the only all stars at the game. Wildcats’ organizer, Mike Bonacci, was also named to the All Star team as manager.