Rebecca Noble and Will Sharpe’s promising hockey careers will be taking them to the Maritimes in February.
The Delta standouts have been named to their respective provincial teams for the Canada Winter Games following B.C. Hockey’s final selection camps held over the weekend in Whistler.
Noble was one of two goalies selected to the U18 B.C. female team that will be coached by Kris Hogg. She will be joined in the crease by Clara Juca. Both play for the powerhouse Fraser Valley Rush U18 AAA team.
The selection process for the provincial squad began back in April with 177 participants at open camps in Salmon Arm and Richmond.
“It was the hardest selection process I have been a part of and each player gave it everything they had. Although the roster is 20 today, we know that the other players released will continue to be a part of the program,” said Hogg. “Now we move ahead with more preparation heading into the Canada Winter Games and I am extremely excited to continue the growth of this group, on-and-off the ice, as we prepare for the biggest stage in P.E.I.”
Sharpe was one of six blueliners named to the U16 B.C. male team. He was a first round pick of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in last spring’s Western Hockey League Prospects Draft.
Team B.C. happens to be guided by the Delta Ice Hawks’ first-ever coach Brad Bowen who worked with Sharpe last season at the Abbotsford-based Yale Hockey Academy. Sharpe, 15, is currently playing for Yale’s U18 Prep team.
“Each spot on this team, the players have had to earn it, and I think that is what is going to make this team successful,” said Bowen. “The local club teams have done a great job developing these players and their skill set. Prep Camp was extremely competitive and the group came ready to compete. I think they are going to make this province very proud.”
The Canada Winter Games will take place from Feb. 18 to March 5, 2023.
