B.C. girls set the bar high at the female box lacrosse national championships in Halifax.
B.C. came away with a pair of gold medals, including the first-ever junior girls' title at the all-star championships on Sunday.
Following a narrow 7-6 win over Ontario just the day before, B.C. blasted the central Canada crew 12-2 in the gold-medal final.
Ashley Bull of Ridge Meadows led the charge, scoring four goals in a fivepoint outing, while Kyra Bradley of Port Coquitlam chipped in with a hat trick.
New Westminster's Kirsti Shanks, who had two goals and one assist in the one-goal win over Ontario earlier, chipped in with three helpers in the final game.
Leah Purdey and Sidney Roy of Burnaby both added a single marker to the winning mix.
New Westminster's Rhianne Ferdinandi, Mackenzie Balance, Emily Muir and Amber Haley also added helpers in the final game.
Alberta defeated New Brunswick 6-1 for the bronze medal.
B.C.'s midget girls also came away with a gold medal, backing up last year's win at the nationals with an unbeaten record following a 7-2 victory in the title game.
B.C. spotted Ontario the opening goal, but New West's Emily Manville knotted the score with just four seconds left in the first period.
Burnaby's Amie Morrison and Allison Shanks of New West also scored a goal apiece in the third period. Xenia Dumont of Burnaby posted a pair of third-period helpers. New West's Bianca Ballarin, who led all keepers with a 1.67 goals against average at the nationals, got the win in goal for B.C. Alberta claimed the midget bronze medal with a 7-2 win over Nova Scotia.
New Westminster's Keely O'Neill scored the second of two first-period goals for B.C., but Ontario replied with five unanswered goals to win the bantam girls' title over B.C. 5-2 for a fourth time in the past five seasons.
Last year, B.C. won its first-ever national bantam title.
In preliminary round play, B.C. beat Ontario 6-4 to finish first in the round robin.
O'Neill, who led Team B.C. with 10 goals and 12 points, had a goal and two helpers in the win, while Raachel Beaulieu led the team with a four-point outing, including a hat trick.
Alberta won its first of three bronze medals with a 12-3 win over Nova Scotia.
The boys' peewee, bantam and midget national championships take place in Whitby, Ont. Aug. 4 to 10.
tberridge@burnabynow. com
