Two teams of the Alexandra Flames Valkyrie took to the ice on the day and as a member of the club I got the opportunity to hit the ice myself, playing as a goaltender for Valkyrie White.
This is my first season playing ice hockey and heading into the tournament I had only two games in net under my belt.
I was nervous but eager to face new teams.
Our team’s first game was against the Mackenzie Grizzlies from Tekapo.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as I took my position in net ready for the first faceoff but I was looking forward to a challenge.
I went into this first game hoping to shut out my opponents, denying them any goals in the game, but unfortunately for me that goal was dashed pretty quickly as the Grizzlies managed to get one past me.
During the second period, Mackenzie again managed to get a puck past me, all thanks to a miscalculation on my part.
I dived for the puck, attempting to bury it in my glove but the puck sailed under the gap between my glove and the ice and into the goal. It was a bit embarrassing to let an easy one past me.
The Valkyrie would quickly tie the game again, and I was able to put that silly error behind me.
Despite Mackenzie keeping me on my toes, they were unable to score again, and thanks to the effort of my team-mates we would eventually pull ahead and go on to win 4-2.
Being able to limit Mackenzie to only two in such a physical game made me realise what got me hooked on being a goaltender in the first place.
Burying a puck and denying possession to my opponents after a mad scramble for the puck where both sides desperately fight for possession was something I found thrilling.
Our final game of the day was against the Dunedin Frost and despite our efforts we could not get a puck in their net, and I couldn’t keep enough out of mine.
I got my wish for a shutout, but sadly it was my team on the receiving end of it.
The Frost beat us 5-0. We played well and I’m proud of the Valkyrie’s efforts but the Dunedin team were just all-round better.
Despite the loss and frustration that comes with letting in five unanswered goals, I enjoyed the game and I enjoyed playing with my team-mates who were always upbeat and encouraging one another.
Like the Mackenzie game, the game against the Frost was an intense physical one.
For the skaters there were races to the puck and battles against the boards and for me in goal there was the mad scramble to keep the puck out of the net.
Despite the loss I could keep my head up knowing that I stopped more than I let in.
I enjoyed the tournament, I loved playing with my team-mates in Valkyrie White and I found it valuable to play against other teams as I got to see how other teams played.
I look forward to taking part in more games and hopefully more tournaments with my awesome team-mates.
