The Tri-Port Midget Wild fundraised all summer for the opportunity of a lifetime, namely, getting to compete in Calgary at “Wickfest”.
Wickfest, which is short for “The Canadian Tire Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Festival”, is a spectacular female hockey event that is the dream come-to-life of six-time Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser. Over the course of two four-day weekends in November, 2,000+ players competed and connected while building positive female hockey experiences across all levels. Each team was guaranteed four games with most games being played at the stunning WinSport arenas (Winter Sports Institute at Canada Olympic Park), home to Hockey Canada.
The Wild came out firing in their first game of the tournament against the Montana Big Sky Wildcats, with Bree-Anna Henderson opening the scoring at 10:35 of the first period. Mercedes Trevor would then notch a goal for the Wild at 6:12 to make it 2-0.
In the second, Henderson got on the scoreboard again with another goal at 6:40 to make it 3-0.
The third period was all ‘Wild hockey’. Captain Kerrigan Sharpe scored at 13:48, and then Merrick Browne added an insurance goal with 10:56 left to cap off a brilliant 5-0 performance.
The Wild had a date with the Yellowknife Wolfpack at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 and it was a battle from the first whistle.
The Wolfpack managed to score in the second period, and then added another goal at 4:17 of the third period to make it 2-0.
The Wild’s Jessica Wadhams scored with 2:48 left, but it was too little too late, as the Wolfpack managed to hang on to the final buzzer, taking home a very close 2-1 win.
The Wild played again later that night against the EG713 Wildcats, and in another extremely close game, they lost 2-1, battling right till the very end. Sharpe scored the Wild’s lone goal of the game.
The Wild needed to win their next game on Sunday afternoon to take third place in their division, and they were ready to win bronze.
Avery Miller shut the door over all three periods, picking up her second shutout of the tournament, while Madison Van Will and Sharpe both found the back of the net to give the Wild a hard-fought 2-0 victory.
Former Wild team manager Ashley Tapp said afterwards the real highlight of the tournament for the girls was “getting some stick time and game time with Hayley Wickenheiser.”
