Two Williams Lake hockey players said donning the Team B.C. sweater at February’s B.C. Winter Games will be a blast.
Chantelle Beadman-Rolph, 15, and Victoria Byer, 14, were selected to the team after attending a B.C. Hockey female U16 tryout at the beginning of January in Fort St. John for the North Central Zone team competing at the Games.
Joining the pair is local girls peewee tier 2 rep coach Troy Weil, who has taken on the assistant coaching duties with the North Central Zone Club. Quesnel’s Hazel Massier is head coaching the team.
Beadman-Rolph and Byer, both defenceman, were chosen as two of 18 players who made the team from a group of 40 regional players who tried out. Weil said the number of players who shot for a spot on the team was the second highest in the province.
“Tryouts were really good,” Beadman-Rolph said. “There was a lot of competition and there were a lot of good players. The first day we did drills and dry land training and then a game, and then the next day we had a game in the morning.”
Beadman-Rolph currently plays for the Prince George Midget Girls ‘AAA’ Cougars. Byer captains the Williams Lake Bantam Tier 3 boys team.
Weil said both girls are a strong addition to the defence core on the North Central Zone team.
“I think both girls here, as far as strength and playing a smart game, are probably two of the strongest and smartest girls in B.C.,” Weil said. “We’re fortunate to have them from Williams Lake.”
The trio are now preparing to head to Vernon from Feb. 23-26 for the Games where they’ll be up against seven other regional teams from around the province.
Both Beadman-Rolph and Byer said they’re excited about attending the Games, and said it’s a good opportunity to play against some solid competition. This will be both Byer and Weil’s first year competing at the Games, while Beadman-Rolph played last year.
Regardless of the Games’ outcome, Weil said he hopes younger players in the lakecity will take note of the girls’ efforts.
“They’re both very good role models for the young girls coming up so hopefully in a few years we’ll have five or six players [playing at the B.C. Winter Games],” he said. “I think it’s going to be a neat experience.”
Check out the Efteen for more on the B.C. Winter Games and local athletes that will be attending.
