Calgary Team STIX AA goalie flashes the glove in the game against Vancouver Island Monarchs AA in the Canada Cup West, in Kelowna, BC, Canada.
© J. Ashley Nixon

STIX Dubs Step up to win first game

Calgary Team STIX were fielding two teams at the Canada Cup West tournament in Kelowna this season. The action started on Friday in what is recognized as Western Canada’s premier spring hockey tournament. In one of the early morning games, played in an arena tucked under the shadow of Mount Boucherie, the STIX Dubs (AA team) put in a couple of goals to win 2-0 against the Vancouver Island Monarchs AA team.

Calgary Team STIX AA in action against Vancouver Island Monarchs AA in the Canada Cup West, in Kelowna, BC, Canada.
© J. Ashley Nixon

Three TCPs is too much for the STIX Trips

The result went the other way for the STIX AA side (the Trips) in the afternoon at the Capital News Centre arena. Team STIX was leading after their goal in the first period and continued to play a good possessive game through the second. TCP pulled one back on a power-play in the third period then took the lead two minutes later. One more goal secured their win, 3-1.

Calgary Team STIX AAA in action against Tri-City Prospect in the Canada Cup West, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
© J. Ashley Nixon

Opening goal scored by Calgary Team STIX AAA against Tri-City Prospects in the Canada Cup West in Kelowna, BC, Canada.
© J. Ashley Nixon

Junior Pandas make it two wins in a day

The Dubs returned across Lake Okanagan toWest Kelowna for their late afternoon game against the Junior Pandas, who select players from across Alberta. The game went deservedly to the University of Alberta associated team 2-0, who put in a well-controlled yet physical performance. The result might have been closer had a puck clearly and fairly buried into the net been identified as such by the ice officials.

Calgary Team STIX AA in action against the Junior Pandas from Alberta in the Canada Cup West, in Kelowna, BC, Canada.
© J. Ashley Nixon

Calgary Team STIX AA put away the puck but the goal was disallowed in their game against the Junior Pandas AA in the Canada Cup West in Kelowna, BC, Canada.
© J. Ashley Nixon

A peach of a game versus Okanagan All Stars AAA

Okanagan All Stars score their fourth goal in the game versus Calgary Team STIX AAA at the Canada Cup West in Kelowna, BC, Canada.
© J. Ashley Nixon

One period completed and things were not looking good for the Stix Trips (Calgary Team STIX AAA) going into the interval three goals down. This was fast-paced, playoff type hockey filled with physicality. The STIX goalie, Jazzie Rodak was shelled with shot after shot in the second. She held tight until 14 minutes in, when a hard shot from the Okanagan right winger lifted to beat her above the glove. Four goals down but not out. The STIX kept at it, hitting the crossbar at 3 minutes to go in the second. Encouraged by that close contact, they scored a minute later to go into the second interval 4-1.

Seven minutes to go in the third and the STIX scored again to make it 4-2.

Calgary Team STIX score their second goal in the game versus Okanagan All Stars AAA at the Canada Cup West in Kelowna, BC, Canada.
© J. Ashley Nixon

With a minute to go, the STIX pulled their goalie and sent out six forwards on a mission to score two more. They got one in, scored by Hailey Wiltshire with 27 seconds remaining on the clock.

Hailey Wiltshire scores the third goal for Calgary Team STIX AAA against the Okanagan All Stars AAA at the Canada Cup West in Kelowna, BC, Canada.
© J. Ashley Nixon

Final score: Okanagan All Stars 4-3 Calgary Team STIX.

What a peach of a game in BC.