By Hockey Canada

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – At just 14 years old playing at a female under-18 event, one might think that a rookie such as Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C.) might be a little intimidated when she first steps onto the ice at a national championship.

But as one of B.C.’s two youngest players, Potomak was anything but that when she took her first strides wearing the B.C. jersey on the EnCana Events Centre ice, putting her province’s first goal up on the scoreboard at 12:58 in the first period to kick start her team’s lead over Saskatchewan and give the often underdog team from the west coast the confidence it needed to pull off an impressive win in front of a loud and proud local crowd. Lauren Spring (Kelowna, B.C.) helped out, her first of three assists to contribute to all B.C. goals in the game.

Saskatchewan skated and fought hard through the first in an attempt to even the score, but a rough second period that included four penalties put the central Canadian team behind by three goals, with Micah Hart (Saanichton, B.C.) making it 2-0 on a power-play, with Spring assisting, midway through the frame, and Potomak accepting the puck from Spring and capping it off when B.C. once again had a one-player advantage at 14:07 in the period.

After a dressing room break at intermission, Saskatchewan came out with more spark in their skates, battling for the puck in an attempt for the much-needed comeback, and a fired up Kaitlin Willoughby (Canwood, Sask.) was able to get a handle on the puck at 12:39 in the scored to dash hopes for a B.C. shutout.

Nevertheless, it was British Columbia to skate away with three points in the standings, undoubtedly fuelled by its enthusiastic fans in the stands. Jane Kish (Weyburn, Sask.) faced an impressive 37 shots between the posts, earning her player of the game honours for Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan next takes to the ice against Atlantic at 4 p.m. on Thursday, while B.C. will be in tough when it faces off against defending gold medallists Ontario Red in tomorrow night’s feature game at 7 p.m. MT.