It may not have been the result she was looking for on home ice, but Ella Boon still believes the experience was well worth it.
The Northern Capitals’ first of a three-game BC Winter Classic series tipped in favour of the nationally-ranked Greater Vancouver Comets by a score of 8-2 in front of dozens of spectators at Vanderhoof Arena last night (Jan. 17), but the day will be one Boon says she’ll never forget.
“I was pretty nervous just because there was a lot of people here, but I was also really excited,” she said when asked by PrinceGeorgeMatters about spending the day in her hometown.
“It was a really cool experience and yeah, it was amazing [...] I’ll remember this game for probably the rest of my life.”
.@NCapitalsfmaaa drop the 1st of its 3-game #BCWinterClassic series to the Greater Vancouver Conets by a score of 8-2 🏒 Game 2 goes tomorrow (Jan. 18) at the Fort Forum Arena in #FortStJames | #CityOfPG #BCHockey @PGMatters pic.twitter.com/wzJwupq0fI
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) January 18, 2020
Before the puck dropped, Boon and the Capitals spent the afternoon at Evelyn Dickson Elementary School, which is where she went while growing up in the District of Vanderhoof.
The 15-year-old said it felt a little bit funny to step back into her old hallways, while playing hockey with the students, telling their life interests and even reading stories to the younger ones.
“I really liked being with them [the kids],” she explained.
They had lots of great questions and I really enjoyed answering them. I saw quite a few teachers, I was picking out all my classrooms and my lockers. It was pretty cool.”
Boon didn’t get on the scoreboard in her grassroots rink, but she did sit in the penalty box for a combined four minutes while her teammates killed off of her both hooking calls on the night.
Unfortunately, the Comets showed why they’re the top team in BC Female Midget AAA play and number-three in Canada, holding period leads of 4-0 and 6-1 before hitting the 8-2 nails in the coffin.
Boon believes her Caps have what it takes to compete with Greater Vancouver.
“I thought we played a pretty solid game,” she said when asked by PrinceGeorgeMatters.
“We had a bad first period, but I think after that we picked it up. The score didn’t really showed how the game went, I don’t think. I think we played pretty well.”
The Prince George-based team goals were scored by Keagan Goulet in the second period and Captain Paige Outhouse in the third.
Hailey Armstrong recorded two assists in the setback, while Pyper Alexander nabbing the other helper on Goulet’s fourth of the 2019-20 season.
Tessa Sturgeon started the game in net, but was replaced by Cadence Petitclerc-Crosby after allowing the first three goals before the eight-minute mark of the opening frame.
The Northern Capitals are now 10-8-2 on the year and are set to face the Comets again tomorrow afternoon (Jan. 18), 2:30 p.m. from the Fort Forum Arena in Fort St. James.
The ladies’ outdoor BC Winter Classic at Ernie Sam Memorial Arena goes for Sunday (Jan. 19) at 9 a.m.
