Athabasca’s U18 Pink Panthers are always on the hunt for success, and they usually find it.
The team has been together for a number of years now and has gelled into a dominant force, according to head coach Sonny Kim. They’re always challenging for championships or medals, and they recently won bronze at two separate tournaments; the Camrose Night Classic and the Slurpee Cup in Edmonton.
Kim has come to expect this kind of success from his team over the years.
“They usually succeed,” said the coach.
“Their playmaking is fantastic. It’s very enjoyable to watch them now. They started out learning how to play and now they’re very skilled in a lot of areas. They’re a fast, skilled, and very aggressive team. They’re a joy to watch.”
That joy is usually reserved for coaches like Kim and Pink Panther supporters. It’s certainly not felt by the teams the Panthers so often chase off the field.
“We’ve been dominating the league the last three, four years,” said the coach.
Unfortunately, there were not enough teams around to create a league this year, so the Panthers have had to make due with playing in tournaments. They may not be playing as regularly as they once were, but their skills haven’t gone rusty.
All the girls have played well, but Kim reserves special credit for Kendra Gustafson, who stepped up to play goal when there were no other takers and has performed quite well.
The Panthers won’t be able to compete in provincials this year because it conflicts with graduation, and two girls won’t be back next year.
That still leaves the majority of the powerful team intact, however.
“I thank the parents for helping out and the players themselves.”
