‘The sky is the limit’: Teen girl hockey goalie thrives playing with the boys – Winnipeg | 24CA News
When Céleste Pelletier helped her crew win metropolis and provincial championships final hockey season, it left her wanting extra.
“I thought a new challenge would be to go play boys and see how good I could do,” Céleste stated.
So final fall, the 14-year-old goalie tried out for Bruins AAA groups, however didn’t make it.
“Initially, Céleste was disappointed to hear that she was cut by the Bruins because that was her focus for the entire summer,” her dad Real Pelletier stated.
However, she was instantly picked up by the AAA U15 Thrashers White.
“We just pick the best players regardless of the name of the back,” head coach Vince Hourie stated. “We wanted to build a team we thought could compete.”
Hourie believes his various crew overachieved this 12 months, making it to the primary spherical of playoffs.
The Thrashers had a roster stuffed with first 12 months gamers, which additionally included a key weapon no different crew within the league had, a feminine goalie.
“Whenever I go on the ice, I know I have a good chance of being really good at stopping a lot of pucks,” Céleste stated.
Céleste has performed hockey for 9 years and this season, she actually needed to adapt her sport because the pictures got here sooner and more durable.
“The guys are always just trying to score, so that was fun,” Céleste stated. “The competition is crazy because you got these huge guys who are six foot whatever and they’re shooting pucks at you.”
Céleste’s stats converse for themselves, a 90 save proportion and a shutout towards one of many groups that lower her.
“She made lots of great saves,” her teammate Prabh Bhathal stated. “She was a really good teammate, helpful off and on the ice.”
“We just see her as one of the guys,” different Thrashers teammate Ed Saly added. “She’s always been one of the guys towards us.”
Off the ice, Céleste additionally performs volleyball for the Junior Bisons Volleyball Club and wrestles when she will.
“She’s a good person and very just driven in everything she does,” Real stated. “She’s very passionate about sports.”
Next season, she plans to return to feminine hockey, enjoying for the Balmoral Blazers. Her different future targets embody enjoying hockey in college, learning business and making the Canadian nationwide crew.
“I’ve already been approached by several D1 schools about her. They know she has intentions of going to Balmoral Hall next year. I think she can play university hockey. The sky’s the limit. She can probably play as high as she wants to play,” Hourie stated.
No matter the place Céleste finally ends up, she by no means lets criticism or doubters get in her approach.
“They said this to the coaches, they go, you’re crazy for picking a girl born in ’09 for a goalie, and then it turns out, we ended up higher than them,” Pelletier stated.
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