Gagetown, Halifax skate through double OT regional women’s final
The 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown Warriors worked hard for their 2026 Canadian Armed Forces Atlantic region women’s hockey title: three periods, plus two overtime sessions, earned them the 3-2 win over CGB Halifax January 30 at 14 Wing Greenwood.
Following the opening puck drop with Deputy Wing Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Curtis and Wing Chief Warrant Officer Justin Harper, the home team Raiders took on Halifax in Game 1. The Mariners’ Sailor Third Class Mya Gilbert opened the first with a goal, but Greenwood answered with two to take a 2-1 lead into the second (one from Captain Lindsay Williams, and the second from Warrant Officer Amanda Jardine). Greenwood’s Corporal Bri Cyr scored in the second, but Halifax added two to even things out to 3-3 (one from Sailor Third Class Claire Delville, and the next from Captain Megan Kelly). The third period went all the way to 1:54, when Greenwood’s Cyr scored again. At 40s, Halifax called a time out and pulled their goalie, to no avail.
The afternoon’s Game 2 saw Halifax back on their skates, taking on Gagetown. The game remained scoreless into the second, when Halifax’s Kelly got a goal, assisted by Delville, to take a 1-0 lead. With 5:14 left in the third, play stopped for 45 minutes, with a Gagetown player down with an injury. Once the game restarted, the Warriors tried to get it back, pulling their goalie for the final minute. It didn’t work, and Halifax took the 1-0 win.
Game 3 February 4 saw the Warriors bounce back to beat the home rink Raiders 4-1, getting their solid three-goal lead built in the first period on goals from Second Lieutenant Crystal Wale (two) and Master Corporal Ally Mabie. Greenwood’s Cyr scored to start the second. The 3-1 score held into the third, when Gagetown’s Sergeant Samantha Grenier added the final, fourth marker. The win put Gagetown in first seed, and directly through to the final.
In the February 5 semi-final, both Halifax (second seed) and Greenwood (third seed) were in must-win situations, looking for the last finals spot. The semi didn’t go Greenwood’s way at all, with the Mariners first on the board on a first-period goal from Sergeant Emily Burtch. Halifax then opened it up through the second, on goals from Kelly, Sailor Third Class Emma Duncan, Corporal Amber Kranenburg, Burtch and Delville. The third stayed at 6-0 until 0:01, when Delville slipped in the seventh goal for the 7-0 win.
Friday’s final was an extended match-up between Gagetown and Halifax – pushing into two overtime periods. Gagetown opened the scoring in the first period on two goals by Second Lieutenant Crystal Wale. In the second, Halifax’s Corporal Amber Kronenburg made it 2-1, and then Sailor Third Class Sophia Ball got it to 2-2. The third period was scoreless, forcing a 10-minute overtime: also scoreless, forcing a second, 15-minute overtime. Gagetown’s Wale got the hat trick, and the 3-2 win, with a goal at 10:10 of that second overtime.
At the post-game awards, Gagetown’s Wale was named MVP. Halifax collected its silver medals, and Gagetown gathered its gold medals and then hoisted the Atlantic region trophy as a team overhead.
Harper, presenting the awards on behalf of 14 Wing, congratulated the winners, and all the athletes.
“The level of competition this week was inspiring – your fighting spirit is a sign of what we do in uniform every day as Canadian Armed Forces members,” he said.
