Kelowna U19 Heat add Western Canadian ringette title to provincial gold

Crowned as B.C. under-19 provincial champions earlier this month, the Kelowna Heat added a Western Canadian ringette title in Richmond during the Spring Break.

Competing as Team BC against provincial representatives from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and host Richmond, the Heat won four of five games on the way to their second gold-medal performance in March.

A 3-1 victory over Saskatchewan in the final clinched the gold for the Kelowna Ringette Association team that had won five straight games at the B.C. championships for the right to advance to the Westerns at the Richmond Oval.

Morgan Asling, Samantha Weigel and Morgan Evans scored for the Heat in the title game, with Keely Horning assisting on a pair of goals. Other helpers came from Weigel, and Jordy Cates.

The Heat earned a berth in the championship match by finishing first in round-robin play with a 3-1 record.

Emma Paradis got Kelowna off on the right foot by scoring the first two goals in a 5-1 win over Manitoba in its opening game of the tournament. Weigel, Cates and Asling added singles, the latter scoring into an empty net.

A second game on the first day of play saw goaltender Jordan Reynolds, a former Okanagan Rocket, being called on to make several outstanding saves as the Heat edged Saskatchewan 3-2 in round-robin play.

Paradis again set the tone, scoring the first Kelowna goal, while Ashling and Morgan Irvine — with the winner — rounded out the scoring. Mackenzie Barton helped set up two of the Heat goals.

On Day 2, the Heat dominated against Alberta, posting a 7-0 triumph in which Horning, Paradis and Evans each scored twice. Jordy Cates added a goal, while Reynolds posted the shutout.

In their only loss of the championship tournament, the Heat dropped a 4-3 decision to Richmond in overtime.

Aisling tallied twice, while Paradis added a third goal and added a pair of assists.

Meanwhile, Evans, Reynolds and captain Stephanie Russo were named to the tournament’s first all-star team. And in the skills competition, Asling won the fastest skater award, Weigel and Paradis were the best shooters, and Reynolds won the beat-the-goalie award.