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Midget West Central Midget Wildcat win division at Wickenheiser tournament

The West Central Midget Wildcats won one of the largest female hockey tournaments in the province.
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Womens Hockey - The West Central Midget Wildcats competed in the Canadian Tire Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Tournament which sees over 1

The West Central Midget Wildcats won one of the largest female hockey tournaments in the province of Alberta recently.

The Canadian Tire Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Tournament is a tournament put on by six time Olympian, Hayley Wickenheiser, that sees over 1,500 girls compete in a two weekend tournament meant to build “positive female hockey experiences across all levels,” according to their website.

Keelie Beierbach, center and first year midget player for the Wildcats was amazed with the tournament.

“It’s Hayley Wickenheiser’s pride and joy,” Beierbach said. “I think she has a lot of fun putting this tournament together at Winsport in Calgary.”

The Wildcats won the tournament with a victory over the Endmoor Vipers a team that they lost to in the finals the previous season. The Wildcats won their previous three games to break through to the finals.

“There were six teams in our pool and there were tonnes of divisions,” Beierbach said. “Our second-year midgets played Endmoor last year and lost to them in the championships. It was awesome for them to come back and beat them this year.”

The tournament win coincides with a Wildcat 3-1 record in league play, which according to their coach Joe Chamberlain, has shown in the two months of practice.

“We are looking forward to a lot more wins,” he said. “There is some tough competition but I’m sure the girls are ready. We have to play as a team and play together. We can do some great things.”

Beierbach also believes good things are coming for the Wildcats this season.

“I think we have a very strong team this year,” she said. Some games we go out there and the team is pumped up and ready to go. You can tell early in the year that this will be a good year for us.”

She added that the Wickenheiser festival is a tournament that all female hockey teams should attend in Alberta.

“It was an awesome experience and it was so cool to see all those female hockey teams come together,” she said.

reporter@sylvanlakenews.com