My name is Jensen Hammer and I am one of the assistant captains on the Gold Wings. For the past couple of weeks, players and coaches have been forcing on getting prepared for the 2016 Esso Cup which takes place on April 17th-23rd. We have been practicing everyday working on developing skills and what to expect for the teams participating in the Esso Cup.
This previous weekend we had two exhibition games that took place in Weyburn. We faced off against the University of Regina alumni Cougars on April 3. It was an great experience to play against woman that are CIS level as well as play against some Gold Wings from the 2014 year.
Even though we lost 4-0 to the Cougars, as a team we learned that competition in the Esso Cup is not going to be easy. Then we played the Radville national boys team on April 4. We knew it would be a game changer for the Nats as body contact would not be allowed, therefore we took that for full advantage.
Radville lead the game 2-0 going into the second period. Midway through the second Bailee Bourassa scored with assists from Jenna Grube and Ashten Sinclair. Not long after, Jensen Hammer scored by a defection from a shot by Mckenzie Cherpin and assist from Bailee Bourassa making the game 2-2 going into the third. Radville Nationals score in the third winning the game 3-2. It was exciting to have the opportunity to play against the Radville Nationals as the competition is different than playing another female team.
This coming up week, our practices are going to include a lot of skating, system work and wall work. As a team our biggest focus is preparing for what is to come. We look forward to seeing the community of Weyburn supporting your Gold Wings at the 2016 Esso Cup!
