A new season is just around the corner for the Northern Capitals U18 female AAA hockey team who will host their season opener at home on the weekend of Sept. 25.
Final team rosters were announced last week and the first training camp opened on Aug. 13 in preparation for the season.
The Caps had a disappointing 2020/21 campaign, finishing with a 2-4-2 record, good for 4th among the five league teams. This year though, they have high hopes to compete for the B.C. Hockey U18FAAA championship, as two players on the roster are currently committed to U Sport universities.
Among the players making the final cut is Williams Lake home-town girl Keira Vermeulen, who will bring strong leadership to this season’s forward lineup.
“She’s a steady Eddie, she’s a workhorse, really good leader [and] good teammate,” Trevor Sprauge, the Cap’s general manager, said. “She’s relied on a lot.”
This year’s team expectations is to play to the highest level as a team and making it the Esso Cup, Sprauge said.
Head Coach Mario Desjardins is also back behind the bench this season, entering his 7th year as leader the squad.