A trio of Midget AAA Kootenay Wildcats are taking the next step to B.C.’s elite hockey program.
Kendra Waterstreet of Fruitvale, Merissa Dawson of Nelson, and Cranbrook’s Tiana Ewasiuk were identified by BC Hockey evaluators over the course of the season and invited to the U18 BC Cup in Richmond this week.
The Female U18 High Performance camp is one of the final steps in determining Team BC that will compete at the U18 National Women’s Hockey Championship.
Waterstreet, who just turned 16, is a skilled forward with a heavy shot that led the Wildcats in goals, 7, last season, while the dynamic Ewasiuk, 17, netted the most points, 10, for the Cats. Dawson, 16, meanwhile, is one of the Cats top defenders that also contributed offensively last season, leading defence in points with two goals and two assists.
The event features the top 80 players from BC Hockey’s Female Midget AAA league, and are split into four teams. The camp began on Wednesday and will go through until Sunday. The players were put through fitness tests Wednesday evening followed by practice and seminars on Thursday and Friday, and will be evaluated during a series of exhibition games on the weekend.
Shortlisted players will attend two more camps this summer, where Team BC will ultimately be selected.
BC Hockey’s Female High Performance Program was established to identify and train athletes and team personnel for possible participation at provincial, national and international events. The Female U18 level is the third and final stage of the High Performance Program. It is an opportunity for the top players in the province to train and compete at an elite level and is meant to introduce players to the beginning of the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence.
Follow all the BC Cup action live via Twitter @BCHockey_Female and on the BC Hockey mobile app for both Android and Apple. Statistics will also be available on the events page of the BC Hockey website, bchockey.net.