The Ring or Puck Stops Here

By Kelly Sharp

      Inferno goalie Megan Spooner turns aside shot at ringette practise    

Allowing goals does not sit well with 13 year-old Megan Spooner.

“I hate it,” Spooner said, the goalkeeper for the Prince George Tween B ringette team and Prince George triple-A girls bantam hockey team. “I can’t laugh it off, I am really competitive.”

The four-foot-eleven netminder thrives on being the last line of defense. This week Megan Spooner and her teammates go for the provincial B ringette championship in North Vancouver. The 13-14 year old Prince George Inferno has dominated opposition, capturing 4 of 5 tournament titles. Their only second place finish came with a depleted roster in the Kelowna ringette tourney.

“We have an extremely good chance,” Inferno head coach Keith Sullivan said when looking ahead to the provincial tournament. “I told the team (sponsored by DWB Forestry and Queensway Autobody) the only one who will beat you is yourselves.”

Prince George will play a pair of round robin games Wednesday and Thursday with the top two teams in their five team pools qualifying for the playoffs.

Following her ringette and minor hockey provincials, Megan Spooner will don the goaltending pads at the Western Canadian AA ringette championships March 21-24 in Medicine Hat. The Grade 8 College Heights Secondary student was invited to play for the BC champion Thompson Okanagan Torl. A remarkable effort earlier this season was proof enough for the all-star team from the Thompson Okanagan Ringette League to add the Prince George goalie to their roster. Spooner was in goal for an 8-0 loss to the Torl  who outshot Prince George 69-6.

“I could not move my legs, I was so tired,” Spooner added about the 61 save performance.

Keith Sullivan, who has watched the Inferno goalie continue to improve her game, is not surprised the highest level of ringette in the province has come calling for Megan Spooner.

“In that 13-14 year-old age group, she is by far the best goalie I have seen,” the head coach of the Inferno said.

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