CANORA - The U15 Parkland Prairie Ice, made up of players from Canora, Sturgis, Kamsack and numerous other area communities, played their first game of the season in Canora on Nov. 8 and proceeded to show how they are capable of overcoming adversity. After falling behind against the visiting Canalta Borderland Badgers, the Ice battled back to gain a 3-3 tie.
Ice Coach Nicole Korpusik said the girls were feeling that familiar combination of nerves and excitement that comes with starting a new season.
“Sometimes having the home opener as the first game of the season can add a little extra anxiety,” said Korpusik. “The girls feel a little extra pressure to perform in front of their home crowd so that can make those first game jitters a little more intense.’
It looked like the first period was going to be scoreless until Rowyn Johnson of Norquay scored unassisted for the Ice with under four minutes remaining.
Even though the Ice had a significant advantage in shots on goal through 40 minutes, the Badgers scored twice to take a 2-1 lead heading into the third period.
A third Canalta goal just past the five-minute mark of the third period gave the visitors a two-goal lead, and left the Ice with a difficult mountain to climb.
But Morgan Olson got the home team back on track with an important goal only 30 seconds later, assisted by Johnson and Leah Braun of Swan River. The energy from that goal appeared to go straight to the legs of the Ice players, and Johnson tied the score with her second goal and third point of the game four minutes later, assisted by Braun and Mackena Kriger of Springside.
A late power play provided the Badgers with the opportunity to score the winner, but goalie Ty Northrop of Norquay and the rest of the Ice penalty killers held their ground, resulting in a final score of 3-3.
Coach Korpusik said she was pleased with how well the girls played, especially considering it was the first game of the season.
“They were seeing each other and not panicking which I loved!” she said. “They made some really smart plays, and we were able to get a lot of shots. Unfortunately for us, their goalie was ready and having a great game. Our girls continued to play well, they were moving the puck well and getting shots, but we just weren't capitalizing on the rebounds. We needed to get gritty in front of the net.”
Three straight goals by Canalta in the second and early in the third period served as an effective wakeup call for the Ice, according to Korpusik.
“How were we going to respond? Hang our heads or learn from our mistakes and get fired up so we can be hyper focused on playing our positions and digging deep to get that puck in the net. They are an incredible group of girls who pick each other up and they did just that. They came back strong and were able to respond with two beautiful goals!”
Even after scoring the tying goal, the Ice players created numerous opportunities to take the lead late in the third period.
“I love the fire and togetherness that this team is capable of!” said Korpusik. “I will use this game as a reminder of that because sometimes when we face adversity, it's easy to forget how capable we are when we work together and keep a positive mindset.”
The Parkland Prairie Ice’s relatively large roster is made up of 21 players, which creates its own set of challenges.
“We have to sit two players every game so that means the girls will be playing different positions, with different line mates or defence partners a lot. Right now, the inconsistencies make getting in a good rhythm hard but the more we bond and practice, I think the inconsistency is going to become a strength. No matter who steps out on the ice, they are going to be familiar with each other and be able to make something happen. However, that's going to take some time, so we need to be patient and trust each other and keep the big picture in mind. This is a long season.”
Korpusik has coached a number of different teams over the years, and says each player on all of those teams has helped her become a better coach and a better person.
“This team has girls from all over east central Saskatchewan. They have a lot of diverse experiences, skills, personalities and backgrounds so seeing them all come together to help each other succeed is pretty amazing and it's only going to get better. They will have to help each other navigate the ups and downs of the season and that is only going to make them stronger.”
Korpusik was involved in all-girls hockey as a player, and said it was a life-changing experience.
“It helped shape who I am today and has introduced me to some lifelong friends. It is an honor and an incredible opportunity to be able to help give these girls an experience that will not only create those friendships but one that will make them stronger, happier, more confident humans that will hopefully use the skills they learn here to make a life and relationships they can be proud of.”
Members of the 2024/25 U15 Parkland Prairie Ice girls hockey team are: Morgan Olson, Avery Masley, Rylee Coleman, Makayla Johnson and Allie Babiuk of Sturgis; Ryea Harper, Cassidy Wolkowski and Chloe Doogan of Canora; Rowyn Johnson and Ty Northrop of Norquay; Camryn Kosokowsky and Isabella Marsh of Kamsack; Lola Andres and Harper Andres of Langenburg; Isabelle Smith and Clara Barlow of Yorkton; Mackena Kriger and Alyssa Werner of Springside; Karissa Keewatin of Cote First Nation, Elli Vogel of Theodore, and Leah Braun of Swan River.
The coaches are: Nicole Korpusik and Bowdrie Northrop of Norquay, Greg Olson of Sturgis, Ryan Andres of Langenburg and Greg Smith of Yorkton.
Korpusik said putting a team like this one together necessitates a great deal of family and community involvement
“Female hockey requires a lot of time and a lot of miles. Our league includes teams from Rouleau, Estevan, Weyburn, Moosomin area, and Balcarres. It's a lot of driving! Plus, some of our girls travel well over an hour just to get to practice so participating is a huge investment of both time and money. We really want to thank our families and everyone who has supported us to make this team and our season as fun and successful as possible!”
The schedule gets busy for the Ice leading up to the Christmas break, starting with a home game versus the South Sask Renegades this Saturday, Nov. 23.
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