The U18 female Cowichan Valley Capitals have returned home from the 11th annual WickFest Female World Hockey Festival, a tournament hosted by Canadian hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser, with a bronze medal.
Back for the first time in three years thanks to the pandemic, the 2023 event was held in Surrey Feb. 2-5.
Third place in the U18 division is a true accomplishment for Cowichan as the team is made up of a mix of U15 and U18 girls playing in the U18 league.
Cowichan players ranging in age from 13 to 18 years old suited up in the five U18-team division.
In their first game on Feb. 3, they fell 5-1 to Abbotsford.
The following day saw the Capitals open the day with an 8-0 loss to the Surrey Falcons but bounce back to beat Penticton 4-0 later in the day.
“For the second Saturday game our girls cranked up the energy,” head coach Jaret Irving said.
The win put the team in bronze medal contention.
On Feb. 5, Cowichan played a different Surrey Falcons team in the bronze medal game.
“We were able to carry the high energy to take the win 5-3 to capture the bronze,” Irving said. “These girls always play hard and have improved so much to come together as a solid team this year. I am very proud of these girls for their accomplishment in this tournament and their play all of this season.”