The Yukon Gold Diggers hockey team travelled south for the Calgary Women’s Spring Hockey Tournament and won their pool.
The Gold Diggers were in pool one of the recreation division alongside the Coyotes, Fort Saskatchewan’s Fort Bang and the Saskatoon Cougars.
The three-day tournament kicked off on April 13 with a game between Fort Bang and the Gold Diggers. The two sides battled to a 1-1 tie with a goal for the Yukoners coming from Ashtyn Sandulak.
April 14 saw the Gold Diggers get in the win column — twice.
In the first game of the day, the Gold Diggers downed the Cougars 5-3 on the back of a hat trick from Katie Vanderstelt and a pair from Chantelle Rivest.
Later that day, the team was up against a Coyotes side made up of players from across the country, including three other Yukoners.
The 4-2 Gold Diggers win over the Coyotes was a real team effort with four different players getting their name in the goals column.
Their 2-1 record after the group stage was enough to put the Gold Diggers into the final — a rematch with the Cougars — on April 15.
After going down 2-0 to Saskatoon, the Gold Diggers began a comeback early in the second period when Tshayla Nothstein scored to make it 2-1.
A goal from Sandulak tied it at 2-2 and it stayed that way until Coralie Ullyett scored to give the Gold Diggers the lead 3-2.
Not ready to give in, the Cougars fought back and pulled even at 3-3 with 10 minutes left in the third period.
The Gold Diggers pulled ahead for good after a Tracey Bilsky pass sprung Sandulak who was able to split the defence and score the winner.
The final score was 4-3 for the Gold Diggers.
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com
