The Kingston Ice Wolves continue to howl in the Provincial Junior Women’s Hockey League.
Troy Sweet’s club (24-1-5) occupies first place in the 20-team loop with 53 points, five points ahead of the second place Kitchener-Waterloo Rangers.
“We’ve got a great group of 17 girls working together,” said Ice Wolves forward Maddie Stockfish.
“We don’t play as individuals, we play as a team.”
“We’re trying to excel as a team and that’s where our success comes from,” the 18-year-old from North Bay continued. “There’s no drama on this club. We’re friends both on and off the ice and our coaching staff is incredible. It’s just a great team atmosphere to be in. Joining this club was a positive decision, for sure.”
With just over a month before the playoffs, the Ice Wolves are looking to lock up first place in the overall standings and guard against overconfidence.
“That won’t be a problem,” continued Stockfish.
“We know there’s lots of hockey left to play. If we lose a game, we’ll try not to let it affect us. We believe in staying in the moment and not looking too far ahead,” she said. “There are a lot of good teams in this league and they’re all capable of pulling off an upset. Our goal is to finish on top and prepare as best as we can for the post-season.”
Stockfish is one of four Kingston players in the top 10 in league scoring, with 31 points. The others include Darcie Lappan, Alexa Hoskin and Tatum White.
Leading the league in scoring with 45 points is Maggie McKee of the London Devilettes.
Kingston’s next game is Friday, Feb. 1 against the Oakville Hornets at the Joshua’s Creek Arena. Game time is 8.30 p.m.
Their next home game is Sunday, Feb. 10 at the Kingston Invista Centre against the Barrie Sharks.