Jean Vanier Storm is advancing to the provincial championships.
The high school’s girls varsity A/AA hockey team won the Georgian Bay Secondary School Association (GBSSA) championships Feb. 25 to qualify for the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) competition in Kenora next week.
From March 9-12, Storm will be competing in a tournament against 16 other teams from across the province.
The team finished the season with nine wins and four losses, defeating Orillia’s Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School 4-2 in the county finals, said coach Liz Payton.
They went on to defeat Almaguin Highlands Secondary School from South River 1-0.
The team is made up of 13 students in grades 9-12, including Creemore Valley Hawks midget Lauren Kacarevich.
“We have four graduating students so I think this is an awesome opportunity for them to attend OFSAA,” said Payton. “One per cent of all students across Ontario ever get to compete in an OFSAA.”
The school’s hockey program was developed by Payton in 2001. She said this is the first year the team has advanced to OFSAA since 2007 but before that went five times and won once and medaled two other times.