After five years of Canadian Interuniversity Sport hockey, Whitehorse’s Angela Burke wasn’t ready to hang up her skates. She had plenty more goals to score.
The 23-year-old recently finished her first season in the South Coast Female Amateur Hockey League where she achieved an All-Star nod following a stellar post-season performance.
“It turned out to be a really awesome year,” said Burke. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but the South Coast Female Amateur Hockey League is just a really awesome place for girls to go after they’re done university or college careers if they are living in the Lower Mainland. It also gives girls and option if they are going to local colleges and working or they’re not quite ready to move away or go play CIS. They still have a league to play in.”
This past season Burke played for the Meadow Ridge Moose, registering five goals and three assists in 16 regular season games.
The Moose went on to take bronze at the B.C. Hockey Senior Female Hockey Provincial Championships with a 3-1 win over the Fraser Valley Jets in the third-place game.
The Moose fell 3-2 in overtime in the semifinal to the South Fraser TNT, who went on to claim their second straight title.
Burke really turned up her offence in the playoffs. The left-winger and centre was her team’s scoring leader in the post-season with four goals and an assist in two games.
With those numbers Burke was selected for the league’s All-Star game at the end of last month where she scored a goal and was named Offensive Player of the Game for her team.
The Meadow Ridge Moose, whose name is derived from its home arena being located between Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge, was in its third season in the SCFAHL. The Moose won the league title in its inaugural season.
“I decided it would be the closest for me and it ended up being a great choice,” said Burke. “I just really like the team and the girls and our team manager was just so amazing. They were just a really welcoming group of people, so it was really awesome.”
Prior to the Moose, Burke played left wing five seasons for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns in Alberta. Before she graduated with a degree in psychology last year she was named Most Dedicated Player for the Pronghorns.
“I ended up scoring the game-winner for my last game, which was really special,” said Burke.
“In your last year you really start to focus on what matters most – the teammates and the memories and the friendships … Time really flew by and the last year was definitely the most special.”
Burke cut her teeth as a competitive hockey player with the Northern Avalanche, which later became the Whitehorse Female Mustangs. She also played for Team Yukon at the 2007 Canada Winter Games and the 2006, 2008 and 2010 Arctic Winter Games.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com
