WARNER, Alta. — Abby Clarke wants to soak up every bit of exposure she can get in the female hockey world.
The 16-year-old Springdale native, who is a goaltender with the Warner Warriors in the Women’s Junior Hockey League featuring 12 female teams from Colorado to Calgary, will suit up for Team Atlantic at the 2012 National Women’s Under-18 Hockey Championship Nov. 15-18 in Dawson Creek, B.C.
A big reason why the Warriors boast an 8-1 record in the WJHL this season is the stellar puck-stopping ability of Clarke, who left home three years ago to attend a prep school in Rothesay, N.B. before being recruited by the Warriors and deciding to go west.
“I wanted to get the experience and exposure of going away,” Clarke said from Warner Thursday.
She has caught the attention of Hockey Canada officials by being named to the Team Atlantic U18 team for a second-straight year. Now she hopes she can catch the attention of female hockey scouts who frequent all the major showcases of female hockey in Canada.
She wants to take her game to the highest level she can, so she believes it’s realistic for her to work toward getting a scholarship to play hockey when she graduates from high school.
Team Atlantic finished fourth overall in the eight-team tournament last year with Team Ontario Red defeating Quebec in the showdown for gold. Clarke’s two games at last year’s tournament just happened to be losses against the two finalists — a 2-1 loss against Quebec and a 4-1 setback at the hands of Team Ontario Red where she made 50 saves.
She hopes Team Atlantic can improve on last year’s showing and she wants to be counted on to give her team a chance to win every game.
“I’m thinking that goaltending is going to be a huge part of our game in Dawson Creek so I just want the girls to feel like they can depend on me,” she said. “That they don’t have to worry if they make a mistake and that I can be there to back them up. I want them to trust me like I trust them.”
Clarke, who is joined on the team by budding Newfoundland and Labrador female hockey players Megan Normore of Conception Bay South and Nicole Blanche of Dunville, is excited about the opportunity to put on the Team Atlantic sweater.
“Being named to Team Atlantic is a big opportunity and a great experience. Just being part of it again will be nice,” she said. “Last year was a big thing for me and to be able to come back and give back more to it is great.”
