Local player heading to provincials
Courtesy Patricia Kahentanóron Gabriel
The Laurentides Mistral girls’ U12B hockey team headed into the regional finals against another Mistral team that had thrice beat them in previous tournaments.
In fact, the opposing team, Mistral 1, was so confident of winning the regionals and qualifying for the provincial tournament that the team had already booked their hotel, said one of the Mistral U12B coaches, Jonathan Charette.
“We had never won against them,” said Charette, who coaches Charlie Ienonhkwatsheraháwi Nicholas on the Mistral U12B team. “So, all the girls, including Charlie, were a bit afraid of this team because they had a great goalie.”
Nicholas’s Mistral team went on to win not once, but twice against the team they feared to secure their spot on at the provincial tournament games, the Chevrolet Cup.
“It was pretty stressful because my team, we were working really hard and pushing ourselves to try and score goals,” said Nicholas.
This has been a dream season, said Charette. In total, the Mistral team has won three tournaments this season and now get to play in the provincials.
“I played hockey all my life, and I never had a season like that,” said Charette.
But the path to winning was not easy.
Back when the regional tournament began, Nicholas’ Mistral team came in with high expectations after winning two tournaments.
But the team lost their second game. To win regionals and qualify for provincials, her team would have to win five games in a row.
“There was a lot of pressure on the girls,” said Charette. “For us, it was a big challenge.”
And with a lot of effort, the team made it to the finals.
During the first finals game, Nicholas’s Mistral team dominated the game, outshooting their opponents 35-1, said Charette. They won in overtime, 1-0.
In the tournament, teams can only lose once; a second loss means they are out of the competition. Their opposing team, Mistral 1, had not lost during the regional games yet.
Nicholas’s Mistral team would have to beat them a second time.
At the second game, with only 1:45 left in the third period, the Mistrals U12B team scored to secure a 1-0 victory in the regionals tournament, said Charette.
“It was surreal,” said Nicholas, whose team was awarded medals for the win.
“Overall, it was fun and exhausting.”
Nicholas’ father, Deven Nicolas, said her face was glowing.
“I’m super proud,” he said. “I can’t even explain, because I’m so happy.”
Charlie is an energetic player on the team, said her coach.
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“She was always fighting hard for the puck, a lot of good shots,” said Charette.
“When you see her on the ice, she’s giving everything she can.”
Charette is encouraging the team to enjoy the provincial games as much as possible.
“Live the moment as much as you can,” Charette told the Mistral team.
“The provincials are like the cherry on the cake for us, it’s the final gift. So just have fun and go as far as we can.”
Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
