The 2019 Canada Winter Games closed with a storybook ending for two Rocky View County hockey players, who came home from the competition with gold medals as members of Alberta’s U18 women’s hockey team. Despite opening its Winter Games schedule with a 6-1 defeat to British Columbia Feb. 24, Team Alberta – with Cochrane’s Sarah Wozniewicz and Chestermere’s Bree Kennedy in the lineup – bounced back to win the tournament in Red Deer by defeating Quebec 2-1 in the gold-medal game March 2. “For us, a lot of it was about belief,” said 17-year-old forward Kennedy. “I think we became the best team out of everyone. We just came together better in the end. “For me personally, and I know a lot of the other girls, we kind of knew we were going to win – we just had that feeling.” Alberta concluded the round-robin portion of the tournament with a disappointing 1-2 record. Following the early defeat to British Columbia, the team rallied back to win 4-3 in overtime against Nova Scotia Feb. 25, but then fell 2-1 to Ontario the following day. With a third-place finish in Pool B, the host team barely scraped into the quarterfinals. “After that [opening loss], we just didn’t worry about the small things,” said Wozniewicz, who ended the tournament as Alberta’s top scorer with five points. “We really simplified our game and getting pucks deep – simple things like that. We learned from our loss and learned how to get better.” The Alberta team started to find its footing in the knockout rounds, shutting out Manitoba 3-0 Feb. 28 and getting revenge against British Columbia in a dramatic, come-from-behind semi-final game March 1, with a overtime 2-1 win. “It was definitely a good comeback, and it was all about belief,” Kennedy said. “Without believing in each other, I don’t think we could’ve done that.” Wozniewicz – who, at 15, was the youngest player for Team Alberta – scored the winning strike against British Columbia to send Alberta to the championship game. The game-winner marked her fourth goal and fifth point of the tournament. “I thought I played well,” she said. “I just do whatever I can to help the team out.” In the gold-medal game, playing in front of a packed crowd at Red Deer’s Downtown Arena, Alberta skated to a 2-1 victory over a Quebec side that had entered the final fixture undefeated. “Our coach [Carla MacLeod] emphasized taking it one step at a time,” Kennedy said. “She just emphasized that we can do this and we were going to win. She gave us confidence and made us believe it.” Alberta’s triumph in Red Deer was historic, as it marked the province’s first time winning the women’s hockey tournament on home soil. It was also Alberta’s first gold medal in women’s hockey at the Canada Winter Games since 2011. “It’s probably the best tournament I’ve been to in my life,” Wozniewicz said. “It was just a great experience and a big event. Playing hockey and meeting lots of new people – it’s just a cool experience.”
