A nearly packed house welcomed 16 Olympians from Canada and the United States Monday night at the Encana Events Centre for the Battle of

the Border event. The Calgary Oval X-treme and the U.S Selects team drew women’s hockey fans and players from all over northern B.C. Including the two X-treme Queens for the Day: Becky Chute and Paige Wards. And what a show for a ten dollar ticket. The added restrictions on physical play in women’s hockey produced a game with virtually no whistles and very few penalties. The game flew by with play action that just didn’t stop. It took a bit of feeling out and nervous energy in the first period to get to those great game moments in the second and third periods. The Calgary Oval X-treme (boasting seven Canadian Olympians) were first on the board in the second, with a beauty re-bound shot from Gina Kingsbury. The X-treme would post up one more to go into the third 2-nil. Then it was team captain and two time Olympian – Colleen Sostorics in the third frame to net their insurance goal. The Americans got one back for a final 3-1 score. But for the two teams it’s just the beginning. They will go on to play three more Battle of the Border games. Their next one coming in Wabasca, Alberta. The event raised $43,000 for local charity. The money was split between the Dawson Creek Minor Hockey Association and the Dawson Creek Youth Ark Society.
Tammy Banfield, Dawson Creek.