Souris wins 3 P.E.I. ringette championships before games even begin

Nobody knew which teams would take gold at theP.E.I. Ringette Championships last weekend in Montague. But they knew where the winning teams would be from Souris.

That's because all six Souris teams made it to the finals in the three top divisions.

"So U12 was Souris versus Souris, U14 was Souris versus Souris, and U16/19 was Souris versus Souris," said Julie Chaisson, team manager for the Under-12 Souris Snipers.

"We weren't surprised that we made the championships, but for all six teams to be there was pretty awesome for a small town, a small community."

It made cheering easier for the fans Go Souris Go!

"Most of our community is there, so aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, friends, teachers they filled the rink to support all the girls," Chaisson said.

"Everybody's friends, so of course, you're cheering for your own family or friend's team. But in the end, you're just really happy everybody gets to take home a medal."

Chaisson said people sometimes ask why Souris is so good at ringette. She thinks a lot has to do with "committed, hard-working" parents and volunteers. She said a lot of the parents of ringette players played ringette themselves when they were younger.

"They know what commitment goes into it and they remember the days from when they played it, so they bring that to their own kids," she said.

Of course, you're cheering for your own family or friend's team. But in the end, you're just really happy everybody gets to take home a medal. Julie Chaisson

"It's just like, you know, we teach them how to treat their bodies like athletes, and how to act. And we all take it seriously and we all love it."

Teams from Charlottetown, Montague and Rustico also competed in the provincial championship.

Canadian championships on P.E.I.

Some of the best players from the tournamentwill be competing for P.E.I. at the Canadian Ringette Championships next week on the Island.

The tournament will determine the Canadian champions in the Under-16, Under-19 and National Ringette League categories. Up to 48 teams will be competing.

Games will be played in Charlottetown, Summerside, Cornwall and Pownal.

The opening ceremony will be held in Summerside on April 7 at Credit Union Place, while the closing ceremony will be in Charlottetown on April 13 at the Bell Aliant Centre.

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