Four months ago the Yorkton Peewee Girls鈥� Terriers did not exist.
Four days ago the team of 17 peewee-aged girls played their second game of the first round of the Girls鈥� Peewee 鈥楢鈥� Provincials, tying Weyburn 1-1 on a third period goal by Pelly based defenceman Sarah Auchtstaetter.
Unfortunately the tie wasn鈥檛 enough as the girls lost the two game total goal series 2-1, having dropped Game One in Weyburn 1-0 earlier in the week.
However the on-ice result wasn鈥檛 the first thing on everyone鈥檚 minds.
Instead it was the fact that the girls were even on the ice to begin with. 鈥淲e (the parents) started thinking about getting something together late November,鈥� offered Peewee Girls鈥� Terrier head coach Fred Schrader when asked when the idea to form the team was first put forth. 鈥淭hen around Christmas time we started having some practices with girls from all around the area.鈥�
In fact girls from six different communities, Yorkton, Melville, Kamsack, Pelly, Churchbridge and Esterhazy, came together to form the Peewee Girls鈥� Terriers; a team that they had to commit to on top of playing in their regular boy鈥檚 league. 鈥淭hese girls, they already play in a regular league so for them to want to play extra hockey on an all-girls team, that鈥檚 great,鈥� mentioned Schrader, who has also been active within the Yorkton community in trying to set up a complete girls鈥� program from atom on up. 鈥淯sually when they鈥檙e playing boys鈥� hockey they鈥檒l have a couple of girls on the team but this is just different.
鈥淗aving a whole team of girls that they can socialize with and be goofy with in the dressing room, that鈥檚 what makes it great for them and I鈥檓 just so proud of them for what they鈥檝e been able to do.鈥�
Schrader then suggested that, if Yorkton were to start a girl鈥檚 peewee program, it wouldn鈥檛 just benefit girls from the Yorkton area.
It would also benefit the 麻豆传媒AV Sask. Female Hockey League (SSFHL) Bantam 鈥楢鈥� Parkland Lions, who currently play out of both Churchbridge and Springside, and who have put together one of the strongest bantam girls鈥� hockey teams in the province. 鈥淲e would be a great feeder system for them,鈥� said Schrader. 鈥淚鈥檝e been talking to the coaches there and a lot of their girls are moving to midget next year, so some of these girls will be playing there and it would be great if we could work together to be a feeder team for them.鈥�
Although Schrader is also fully aware that it鈥檚 easy to talk about getting a program set up, but getting one up and running is another matter.
However, according to Schrader, the interest is there. 鈥淭here are parents in atom already wanting to get an atom girls鈥� program going. Even if it鈥檚 just an atom girls鈥� tournament team, so there will be a good hockey program laid out for girls in Yorkton,鈥� mentioned the advocate of girl鈥檚 hockey in the city. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take a little time just to get some numbers up there and we鈥檙e going to have to draw from the surrounding area but there are a lot of girls in the area playing.
鈥淭here are a lot of girls in the area, it鈥檚 just a matter of getting them to carry it on and not lose interest in playing when they get to the older ages.鈥�
Girls who played on the Peewee Girls Terriers are as follows: Kiara Stewart, Paige Petracek, Erin Yeadon, Shaelyn Myers, Mia Chretian, Samantha Wolfe, Brooke Schwartz, Courtney Gilbey, Breanne Brenner, Sarah Auchstaetter, Callie Helmeczi, Breanne McLean, Emma Abel, Brookyln Litzenberger, Sara Lajeunesse, Sadie McGriskin, MaKenna Zimmer and goaltender Haley Schrader.
