2013 Esso Cup

"Ghost Writing" - April 20, 2013

“Ghost” Writing:
A blog by 2013 Esso Cup host team the Fraser Valley Phantom

SATURDAY, APRIL 20: BRING ON THE ESSO CUP!


by Mikayla Ogrodniczuk (#16)

What is the Esso Cup?

It’s a tournament of champions, a tournament to determine the best of the best. There is no bigger tournament for female minor hockey players in this country. Six teams representing different regions of Canada compete against one another to decide the best in the country, and earn the privilege to hoist the Esso Cup trophy itself.

In Canada, there are more than 100 female Major Midget teams that battle from September to April to earn a berth at the Esso Cup. This year, my team made British Columbia history. The Fraser Valley Phantom is the first female Major Midget team from B.C. to compete at the Esso Cup!

This is an opportunity that female hockey players from around our province have dreamed of for years. We are set to make those dreams a reality! We will not only be playing for our team, but for all girls in our province.

The Esso Cup is the ultimate opportunity for my teammates and I to show our friends, families, classmates, and even teachers, what our hard work has been all about. Why we climb countless stairs before practice (and sometimes after practice in full gear), why we complete endless sets of push-ups and squats on the ice, why we endure long bus rides, and why we celebrate our victories like there’s no tomorrow. It also gives us the chance to show the rest of Canada how far female hockey has evolved in B.C.

The impact of this tournament will live on forever; it’s something my teammates and I will remember for the rest of our lives!

It’s difficult to describe just how much hosting and playing in the Esso Cup means to us as a team – sometimes the passion and excitement one feels can defy words. Our captain, Hailey Smyl, summed it up in this way:

“To me, it means accomplishment. We didn't just walk our way into hosting nationals; we have progressed as a program over the past few years, and finally we are being recognized for our achievements. Winning provincials two years in a row deserves a chance at the ‘real deal,’ and nothing but hard work has gotten us here.”

It’s a sentiment that we all share. We’ve worked so hard to get to this place, and now we’re ready to show everyone what our hard work, perseverance, and teamwork can achieve. We know that the rest of the teams competing for the Esso Cup feel the same way, but we believe in ourselves and are set for the challenge.

Having the privilege of competing for the Esso Cup as hosts of this wonderful tournament only fuels the fire that burns within us as a team. Knowing that all of our friends and families will be cheering us on in the stands adds to the excitement and atmosphere of the Esso Cup. We are ready!


About “Ghost” Writing: Leading up to and during the 2013 Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship, coming to Burnaby, B.C., this April, several players on the Fraser Valley Phantom of the BC Hockey Female Midget AAA League, will be contributing their thoughts to “Ghost Writing,” a blog about hosting the Esso Cup and everything else female hockey.

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