Richmond was certainly well-represented when B.C. Hockey invited 137 players from around the province to Salmon Arm earlier this month for the Female High Performance U16/U18 Identification Camps.
The four-day session featured fitness testing, on ice sessions and scrimmages. It is part of the process to determine B.C. Hockey’s U18 team that will be playing at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer next February.
Players will be selected for the next stage — a provincial camp in Shawnigan Lake, slated for July 31-Aug. 3. It’s expected 26 will then be shortlisted for Team B.C. with the final roster announced sometime next fall.
Last year, local standouts Courtney Vorster, Kate Reilly and Katie Chan all made Team B.C. and helped their province win bronze at the U18 National Championships.
Vorster captained the team in her final season of eligibility and has gone on to play for Team Canada at the U18 World Championships the past two years.
Reilly will be trying to duplicate Vorster’s feat and play three straight years for Team B.C. She is currently attending school at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Minnesota.
Chan defied the odds last year by being the lone 2003-born player to make the B.C. team. Now at 15, the talented forward is looking to secure her spot in B.C. colours again and even take on more of a leadership role.
Chan was joined in Salmon Arm by nine other players from Richmond.
They included: Goalies — Janaka Shahi (Delta Hockey Academy). Defencemen — Annalise Wong (Ravens Bantam A), Rylee Crego (Seafair Bantam Tier 2), Tova Henderson (Delta Hockey Academy), Jamie Grinder (Fraser Valley Rush). Forwards — Jessica Soon (Delta Hockey Academy), Nicole Soon (Delta Hockey Academy), Camryn Ward (Bantam A Ravens), Jennifer Andrash (Delta Hockey Academy).
