The Quesnel U19 ringette squad returned from a tournament in Edmonton with a better idea of just how good the competition is and what they had to do to compete.
Quesnel found themselves in a pool with five teams having legitimate U19 squads, whereas the Quesnel U19 team has 13 players aged 14 - 16.
“It was nerve-wracking going against the older teams,” 16-year-old Jessica Macdonald said of her feelings at the beginning of the tournament.
“It was tricky, but we learned a lot of new things.”
For her part, Rebecca Milligan, 15, agreed playing with the older girls was a challenge, particularly trying to keep up with them, but found her groove.
“I just tried my hardest,” Milligan said.
“As the tournament went along I got more confident.”
With players from Prince George, Houston and as far away as Terrace the tournament in Edmonton represented the first opportunity for the Quesnel team to play as a team.
After five games in two days, the Quesnel U19 girls finished in fifth place with a record of 1- 4.
The first day was a tough one, Moorhouse said, as Quesnel played three games, losing 9-4 to Central Alberta, then 7-0 to Zone Five Grit, an Edmonton team, 7-0.
The Quesnel girls finished their first day of action with a 13-0 loss to a team from Calgary that eventually went on to win the tournament.
“It was our third game of the day and they were an exceptional team with 11 U19 players from last year’s national championships,” Moorhouse said.
The second day of competition started on a bright note for the Quesnel squad as they skated to a 6-2 win over the Regina Bandits, in a game that saw the Quesnel players show their true colours.
“They came out flying and they controlled the game from the outset,” Moorhouse said.
The tournament ended with a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Elite, in a game Moorhouse said was closer than the score indicated.
On the positive side, Moorhouse indicated the Quesnel U19 players began to gel as a team and she was impressed with how they began to work together to apply the systems they learned in practice.
Also gratifying for Moorhouse was the way the older players took the younger players under their wing, with advice and leadership, particularly Emily McMartin, 16, who has some double-A experience and Rylee English.
“She [McMartin] really stepped up to the plate,” Moorhouse said.
English, 17, a resident of Terrace, is in her third year as a U19 player and is a former member of the provincial Canada Winter Games team and as a result has plenty of experience to share with the younger players.
“She showed she can be a leader on this team and was a positive influence on the younger girls,” Moorhouse said.
The Quesnel U19 squad has a bit of time off now until the New Year when they host their annual Goldpan Tournament, Jan. 6 - 8.
In preparation, the players will be watching video of their games in Edmonton and holding a full-team practice in Prince George Dec. 21.