Submitted by Sherry Kineshanko
This past weekend a group of past Lumby Female Stars Hockey Team players eagerly all met down in Richmond for the 28th Annual Richmond Ravens Female Hockey Showcase Tournament.
This tournament is not new for any Past Lumby Stars Female Hockey team members who have played under coach Jon Kineshanko. He’s starting coaching the Female U18 hockey team 12 years ago when his daughter Payton fought hard to bring an all female team to the Pat Duke Arena and the Lumby Female Stars Team was formed.
Over the years the team grew to be strong and had much success as they learned to build on their skills and develop friendships as the girls also came from other surrounding communities all to play the game their loved and prove female hockey was fast, skilled and high level.
When Coach Jon found out the Richmond Female Showcase Tournament had a new U21 Division he put it out to his past members in that age category and the response was an excited yes. So the group of ladies ranging from 15-21 all gathered in Richmond without a practice all together as some even jumped on the ferry as a passenger to meet their parents with their bags on the other side.
They all met for their first game Friday night at 9:45pm with smiles on their faces ready to lace up and hit the ice wearing their green and gold stars jerseys with pride. Some ladies had played all year and some hadn’t played since the same tournament last year as they are now in college and university.
The U21 Stars faced the Victoria Reign U21 team in their first game of the tournament and the Stars hit the ice with no cob webs to dust off as they proved their long years of playing together proved they knew where each other would be and they handled their opponents easily as their won 9-1.
Veteran Tyra Cunningham was between the pipes and showed why she can hold her own in the OKHL Men’s Okanagan league as one of the top goaltenders this year. As she stopped everything sent her way. Careese Makse opened the scoring on a beauty pass from Veronica Mailloux at 10:08 of the first period. Followed by two back to back goals from Tori Maltman within two minutes starting at 7:21.
Assisted by Marlee White, Reanne Muller and Izzy Huston. Makse added her second of the game with less than a minute in the period. Second period saw two goals added by White and d-man Cadence Quibell unassisted with Tori adding her third by Muiller and White to end the second.
Vanessa Hillman working hard up front providing many opportunities.dfThe third period saw a lone goal by Makse with Hailee Hunt and Reanne Muller rushing the net and creating many opportunities. Defensive line mates Kiel Hayward, Jenna Maltman, Mia Maltman, Teagan Schober, and Izzy Huston were sold on the blue line not allowing the other team many opportunities to reach Tyra to get their first win.
The second game was Saturday morning and the girls faced the host Richmond Ravens. The Ravens got the only goal of the first period. The stars answered back halfway through the second on a goals by Tori Maltman Assisted by a beauty pass from Hunt. Maltman returned the favour 6.6 left in the game to make a great pass to line mate Hunt who made no mistake to bury it and go up 2-1 for the final score of the game to improved to 2-0.
The late game of Saturday night saw the Stars face the Victoria U21 Tournament Team. Once again the Stars found themself behind and fighting before White put the stars on the map then on a sweet pass by Careese Makse. Then the connection of T. Maltman and Hunt combined again for the 3rd game for the win on a power play.
Then U21 Stars were 3-0 in round robin play which secured them the number one seed spot going into the Sunday semi finals matchup where they had a rematch against the Victoria Reign squad.
The first period saw much back and forth play in an well matched game. Reanne Muller got the loan winning goal from T. Maltman to punch the Stars name into the Championship game.
It was a rematch with the host Richmond Ravens. The home squad opened the scoring 7 min into the game. Marlee white tied it up on a cantering pass from Careese Makse. To put the stars on the board. Less than a minute later White and Makse swapped spots and Makse scored from White for the stars to be hip 2-1 in the end of the first.
The second period had lots of pressure at both ends as the goalies both played sensational. On a breakaway Mailloux was pulled down and awarded a penalty shot which she used speed and deeking but the goals was ready and on fire.
The second prior The stars were called on more than their fair Share of penalties but they all worked hard. Hayward, Schober, M. Maltman, J. Maltman were a wall on the blue line stopping many opportunities as the fast passed and physical game put the stars on a disadvantage.
The Stars won the championship 3-0 with Cunningham getting a well earned shut out earning her player of the game. The ladies finished the tournament 5-0 and sent home a purple banner to put up in the Pat Duke that they can look at with pride when they come home.
Thank you to everyone that watched on the live stream an had nice things to say.
