The Brown鈥檚 Bay Packing North Island Edge female Bantam hockey team hit the ice in 2011 with a bang.

Their first game on Jan. 9 was an exhibition game resulting in a 1-1 tie on home ice. This past weekend the Edge travelled to Nanaimo to play the Midget C Clippers and won 8-4 with two goals each from Sarah Kendall and Brooklyn Rothwell and singles from Briana Vandenberg, Tara Dickson, Taylor Rose and Elaina Drewry.

On Sunday the Edge were in Sooke to play the South Island Breakers and won their last league game 5-1. The Breakers got the first goal of the game half-way through the first period.

鈥淭he way our girls were playing we were a bit concerned as they just weren鈥檛 able to settle down and make the plays and passes that we knew they could,鈥� a team spokesperson said.

But, whatever was discussed in the locker room during the ice clean midway through the second worked. The girls got back on the ice and showed the crowd that they really are a strong adversary. Kendall and Drewry scored unassisted within the first two minutes of the second-half start with Kendall, Megan Grant and Rose each adding one more in the third period.

With league play over, it is now onto the playoffs to determine who will go to Provincials in Kelowna in March. The Edge鈥檚 first game is Jan. 29 in Campbell River at 4 p.m. on the Rod Brind鈥橝mour rink #1 against the Mid-Island Extreme.

鈥淭hree Vancouver Island female Bantam A teams are vying for that spot to represent in the Provincials and it will be an exciting competition,鈥� the Edge spokesperson said.

鈥淎fter each team has played each other, (the Edge鈥檚 second game is against South Island Breakers on Feb. 5 at Sooke) the top two teams will play on the weekend of Feb. 12-13 (arena TBA) in a best-of-three series.

Meanwhile, several Edge players participated in the U16 tryouts on Jan. 2-3 at Port Alberni to be part of a 20-player team that will compete in the BC Cup this April in 100 Mile House. Four North Island Edge girls made the team.

鈥淐ongratulations to Sarah Kendall, Danielle Poirier and Elaina Drewry from the Comox Valley and to Julia Wing from Campbell River,鈥� the spokesperson said. 鈥淲e know that you and your teammates from all over Vancouver Island will do your best and represent great female hockey from our little island we call home.鈥�