Mitch Calvert
The Fort Frances NorFab Flames are treading in unfamiliar water, but just getting to this point has been a long journey.
The local PeeWee girls’ rep team is the first of its kind for the 12-and-under age bracket, and manager Wendy DeGagne said that has to do with a number of initiatives in the community in recent years.
“I think it’s due to the success of the women’s national team, winning a second gold medal in a row [in 2006] probably influenced a lot of girls,” DeGagne noted.
“But during the World Health Organization conference, I brought in Cheryl Pounder from the national team, and she went into the schools and spoke to the kids and that went over really well.
“And Katie Weatherston, another national team player, has had her hockey school here the past two or three summers, so girls have had role models come to town and learn the game from,” DeGagne added.
The Flames have yet to win a game, but have been on the short end of some close ones, including a 1-0 loss to the Emo Cobras boys’ team this past Saturday.
The squad next heads to Warroad, Mn. for a tournament Nov. 29-30 against other rep teams from the U.S. and the surrounding area, including Kenora (Dryden doesn’t have a rep team for this age group).
Meanwhile, the Fort Frances Leafs 14-and-under rep team was in Kenora over the weekend for an exhibition game and came home with a 9-3 victory.
Alyssa Penner, Sha-Lynn Smith, and Monica Woods all scored a pair of goals while Taylor Dixon, Hailey Clendenning, and Allison Brown added singles.
Dana Cridland turned aside 49 shots in the Leafs’ net.
“It was great end-to-end action. The Leafs came out hard with all forwards scoring,” coach Scott Clendenning wrote in an e-mail to the Times.
The Leafs, who improved to 3-2-1 with the win, next will hit the ice for a game against the local Midget girls tomorrow before travelling to Warroad, Mn. on the weekend.
The team also will square off against the International Falls Broncos’ junior varsity team Nov. 18 starting at 5:15 p.m.
