Girls hockey stars shine for Flyers

LEWISPORTE/GANDER - Local female hockey players, Hope Ryan and Sarah Manuel, who have been playing with the Gander Flyers team all season long, played in the Comfort Inn Championship Jan. 25-27. Both players were instrumental in helping the Flyers win the gold medal during the three-day tournament played in Gander.

The first game of the tournament saw the Flyers kick-off the tournament facing Fogo Island Hawks. This game was a close one to the end which resulted in a 3-3 tie. Hope notched two goals in the game while Sarah added an assist.

The second game for the Flyers saw the girls put on an impressive showing defeating the Twillingate Combines 5-3. Hope, who has been on the female hockey scene for a number of years, playing in various tournaments both provincially and nationally, recorded a hat-trick in the game.

Game three for the Flyers saw another close battle as Glovertown pushed the Gander team to its limits, which ended in a 4-4 tie. Hope was once again was the leader for the team, scoring all four goals for the Flyers to preserve the tie.

After three games, the girls were yet to be defeated although they had a few close games. The last game in the round-robin saw them face off against Bonavista. A win for the Flyers would secure top spot and a berth in the championship game. That game was a defensive one from start to finish with the flyers winning the defensive battle with a 2-0 win. Like in every game, the Lewisporte area was well represented with the rookie prospect Sarah and the veteran Hope each scoring a goal for the flyers to lead them to the championship against the Clarenville Caribous.

With an 18 player roster, both Sarah and Hope were dubbed as being two of the biggest offensive threats for the Gander Flyers team.

The Championship was a classic from start to finish, with the game being once again, a defensive battle. The game went back and forth through the three periods without a winner being decided as the game ended in a 1-1 tie. Hope scored the goal for the Flyers. Overtime for the two teams solved nothing which prompted the ever exciting shoot-out to decide the Comfort Inn Championship. With the score still tied after two shooters, the game was put in Hope's hands as the last shooter for the Flyers. Hope capitalized on her shot, scoring the winning goal and giving the Gander Flyers the gold medal.

"The girls were really excited and happy," said Flyers' coach Randy Lane. "Especially since the championship game was overtime and a shootout.

"We have a lot of beginners on the team and most of the other teams don't, but our girls worked really hard and they played as a team really well."

The Flyers will now begin preparation for their provincial tournament in Whitbourne March 14-16.