For the fifth straight year RINK Hockey Academy Kelowna has won the CSSHL Female U18 Prep Western Championships.
RHA Kelowna (Kelowna, BC) did so Wednesday with a 2-1 win over OHA Edmonton (Edmonton, AB) in the finals. RHA Kelowna had previously beat OHA Edmonton 6-1 in round robin play, and the two teams had each won two meetings coming into today’s game.
Jaya Schippel (21/22) and Emma Skolney (21/23) kept clean sheets through 20 in a back and forth first period. The second looked like it would also end scoreless until the CSSHL’s All-Time Female leading scorer in Kennedy Sisson (2A), set-up captain Hailey McDonald (1G, 1A) on a 2-on-1. McDonald would make no mistake, firing it past a sprawling Skolney to give RHA Kelowna a 1-0 lead with 1:38 left in the period.
OHA Edmonton would threaten in the third with three power play opportunities, including a 5-on-3, but they were unable to tie the game early. RHA Kelowna would take advantage as Sydney McIntosh fired one from the slot through the five-hole of Skolney, increasing the lead to 2-0 with 6:27 left to play.
Izzy Gollop would get OHA Edmonton on the board with 1:03 left to play, ending the Schippel shutout bid, but RHA Kelowna ultimately held on for the 2-1 win, extending their dynasty for another year.
