By Alissa McArthur /
Any time a team gets a big influx of new faces, chemistry can often be a stumbling block in the early going. Not so for the Fraser Valley Phantom of the B.C. Female Midget AAA league, according to coach Dave Mallo.
Despite having 12 new players join the team, Mallo says the rookies and eight returning players gelled “almost instantaneous[ly].”
“The level of commitment of all the players to this team has been commendable,” Mallo said.
“The players work hard, listen and perform like any high performance players would.”
But three games into the 2009/10 season, the Phantom are still looking for their first victory.
The Phantom are 0-3 so far, but put up a strong fight in a 4-3 loss to the defending regional provincial champions, the Vancouver Fusion, on Oct. 12. Fraser Valley got goals from Jennifer McLean, Kelsey Firkus and Ashley Gray in the loss.
Mallo said he is happy with his team’s performance so far, despite their record, and is impressed with the depth on his roster. The coach cited his goaltending tandem of Alison Li and Kristen McDonald as being among the best in the league.
“All the players bring a variety of skills, creativity and grit to the team,” Mallo said. “We have a defence that works hard every game, and a group of forwards that combine hard work and ingenuity. It makes for a very cohesively strong team on and off the ice.”
Like their Lower Mainland rivals, the Fusion, the Phantom are committed to helping their players balance school and hockey.
“The philosophy of the Phantom is family, school and hockey – in that order,” Mallo said “We support the players in all three of these aspects of their lives…[and] supply the girls with some of the tools they will need to take their game and their ambitions to the next level.”
Mallo said the Female Midget AAA league was founded by, among others, five members of the Phantom organization to bridge the gap between minor hockey and high performance.
“We take care in maintaining this ideal for all our Phantom players,” Mallo said.
The Fraser Valley Phantom play their next set of games in Nelson, where they will play a grueling three games in less than 24 hours. The Phantom took on the Fusion Oct. 23, and will take on the Prince George Cougars Oct. 24 at 8:00 a.m. and the Vancouver Island Impact 4:15 p.m.
This season, Hockey Now is expanding coverage of Female Midge AAA. Look for more stories in our upcoming issues. |