SACKVILLE, N.B. — Two young Sackville Minor Hockey Club (SMHC) players are getting set to embark on what is sure to be the trip of a lifetime.
Carys Trenholm, 14, of Point de Bute, and Mollie MacInnis, 13, of Sackville, have been selected to represent New Brunswick at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship in Whitehorse May 6 to 12.
The tournament, which has been held annually since 2001, is expected to see hundreds of elite female and male Indigenous players from across Canada compete for national glory.
Carys and Mollie, who have been honing their skills with the SMHC for the past nine years and are currently Grade 8 students at Marshview Middle School, said they’re excited about the opportunity to compete at the national level, and are especially thrilled to be playing ofr the first time on an all-girls team.
Carys’ mother, Deanna, and Mollie’s mother, Trudy, who will be travelling to Whitehorse to watch the action, admitted to being a bit nervous when the girls tried out for Team New Brunswick.
“We were excited that they both made it,” Deanna said. “All we could hope for is they both make it or they both get cut.”
Trudy added the achievement is even more impressive because of how young the girls are.
“They’re the youngest girls on the team … the majority of the team will be Grade 9-12 players.”
In addition to playing hockey on the national stage, both mothers feel their daughters will benefit in other ways from their upcoming trip as they will be travelling with the team and staying with them once they get to Whitehorse.
“So it’s just that experience to see them to see that they have to be independent … it’ll definitely make them grow,” Trudy said.
The girls begin practicing with their team once the minor hockey season ends. In the meantime, Carys and Mollie must each raise $2,500 in order to compete in Whitehorse. To accomplish this, they’re selling tickets for $10 each, meaning they must sell a combined total of 500 tickets. The grand prize for the ticket draw, which is being hosted Aboriginal Sport and Recreation New Brunswick, is $5,000, with several consolation prizes also available to be won.
Anyone wishing to support Carys and Mollie by purchasing tickets, can e-mail Trudy at [email protected].
For more on the upcoming tournament, visit www.nahc2019.com/, where information will also be made available on how to watch a livestream of the action.
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