The West Kootenay Bantam Wildcats continue to enjoy success against some tough provincial competition.
The regional girls hockey team returned from Kamloops this past weekend with a 2-2 record, but more important than the results was the solid efforts against top caliber teams.
In the opening game of the tournament, the Wildcats were matched against a very strong club from Red Deer. Despite a huge game by goaltender Catalina Hardland, the Wildcats were edged 4-2 by the eventual tournament finalists. Jordan Zilkie and Paige Gattafoni each scored for the Wildcats.
In the team’s second game against host Kamloops, Nelson’s Emma Wheeldon scored a goal and added an assist on the way to pacing the locals to a 3-1 win.
In the final round robin game against Williams Lake, the Wildcats needed a win to earn a spot in the semi-final. Kendra Waterstreet, Gattafoni and Wheeldon scored to give the Wildcats a 3-1 victory.
In the semi-final the Wildcats came up against the province’s top-ranked North Shore Winter Club from Vancouver. The Kootenay squad lost 6-0 to the Winter Club who went onto with the tournament with a 1-0 win over Red Deer.
The Wildcats play regular season games in the West Kootenay bantam house league which is made up of primarily boys.