Kristen Douglas

Gazette staff

Two North Island girls will skate for the region’s only midget-level girls hockey team this season.

Samantha Dutcyvich and Kaileigh Wilson, who both play defence and are from Port McNeill, were selected to play for the Campbell-River based North Island Edge.

Port McNeill’s Ashlynne Moore was also chosen to play in what would have been her fifth season with the team, but a concussion sustained while playing for Team BC forced her to withdraw from the team.

Head coach Dwayne Rudy, also from Port McNeill, said Moore is probably out for the season.

For Dutcyvich and Wilson, who are in their first year with the team, playing for the Edge means they face a very tough schedule all winter long.

“Our girls are down Island every weekend,” said Rudy, who is coaching the team for the third time. “They do travel down and have two practices, and at least one or two games every single weekend.”

Rudy said he and the two girls commute every Friday, and have their first practice of the weekend that night, followed by another practice Saturday morning, and at least one game on either Saturday or Sunday.

“The girls have their parents driving them, but they are usually pretty tired by the end of the weekend,” said Rudy.

But their hard work seems to have paid off, as the fairly young Edge are off to a great start this year with four wins, two ties and only one loss after two exhibition games and a tournament.

Although the Edge is a midget-level team, Rudy said some of the players this year are bantam age skaters, including Dutcyvich and Wilson, who are both only 14-years-old.

“For those young players, it can be quite intimidating to play against the older girls, but our younger girls such as Kaileigh and Samantha are doing very well and have accepted the challenge,” said Rudy.

This year’s team is made up of players from Port McNeill, Campbell River, Courtenay and Powell River.

The majority of home games for the Edge are played in Campbell River and Comox, but Rudy says he has been trying to get a game or two on the North Island.

“I usually try to get a weekend up on the North Island, but so far I’m not having any luck,” said Rudy.

The Edge begin league play Sat., Oct. 31.