P.E.I.'s U14 team wins Atlantic Challenge Cup

A group of young P.E.I. female hockey players will not soon forget their experience at the Atlantic Challenge Cup.

The Island’s under-14 female team won the gold medal.

“It’s huge,” Team P.E.I. head coach Nicolle Derry told The Guardian in a phone interview on Oct. 13 in explaining the significance of the victory. “It’s the first time since 2011 a P.E.I. team has won an Atlantic Challenge Cup, so it’s pretty big news.”

Team P.E.I. completed play with a record of 3-2 (won-lost) in Moncton, N.B.

“It was really fun to coach the girls,” said Derry. “The girls deserved everything they got and never stopped the whole weekend. They were relentless every single game.”

Derry felt P.E.I.’s 4-0 win over New Brunswick in the semifinals on Oct. 11 was the team’s best game of the weekend.

“Then when we got to the finals, we knew it was going to be a hard battle, but they deserved the gold medal,” said Derry.

In the championship game, Team P.E.I. emerged with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Team Nova Scotia, also played on Oct. 11.

Nova Scotia went up 1-0 in the second period but Team P.E.I. answered back to tie the game 1-1 just past the halfway mark of the middle frame on a goal by Addison MacAdam.

Booklyn Compton’s unassisted goal at 14:01 of the third period gave Team P.E.I. a 2-1 lead. Elizabeth Joyce added an insurance marker with an empty-net goal with one minute remaining.

Compton, Violet MacCallum, Shay Richard and Madison Parsons scored for Team P.E.I. in the semifinal game versus New Brunswick.

Emily Filion earned the goaltending wins in the semifinal and championship games.

Derry said one key part of Team P.E.I.’s success was relentless forechecking.

“Our forecheck didn’t stop,” said Derry. “We didn’t give any of the teams any time and space, which helped us take over the games, especially in the semifinal game and towards the end of the gold-medal game.

“We went to the final buzzer and didn’t give Nova Scotia any chances to come back after we took the lead with five minutes left. It was awesome.”

Derry also praised the Team P.E.I. players for how they handled the pressure of playing in big games of a major event.

“They seemed to be pretty calm given the circumstances,” said Derry. “They knew what was at stake and nobody (from P.E.I.) had won since 2011.

“We talked them before and during the (championship) game to stay calm and they managed it really well. They were all onboard and knew their jobs and it worked out in our favour.”

Team P.E.I. U14 female team roster at Atlantic Challenge Cup:

Goaltenders

• Devynn Wakelin
• Emily Filion

Defence

• Karly Duncan
• Rosalie Dunn
• Naomi Gates
• Meredith McKenzie
• Jessica Murphy
• Annie O’Meara
• Forwards
• Stella Brioux
• Brooklyn Compton
• Elizabeth Joyce
• Macie Keough
• Mischa Klimes
• Addison MacAdam
• Violet MacCallum
• Peyton MacDonald
• Madison Parsons
• Shay Richard
• Ruixi Tan
• Elle Woodington

Jason Simmonds is a sports reporter at The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached at jsimmonds@postmedia.com and followed on X @JpsportsJason.