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Love of hockey shows in Crofton girl’s competitive spirit

Savanah Sanchez may be soft spoken, but her actions are louder than words on the ice
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Savanah Sanchez wears Capitals’ colours and sleeps in Canucks’ colours. (Photo by Don Bodger)

Hockey, hockey and more hockey. Savanah Sanchez of Crofton can’t get enough and it keeps her mom Jessica hopping, too, as her team’s manager.

“I love it, being part of the team,” said Jessica, who’s been the manager of her daughter’s team for three years now. “It’s nice to watch them grow.”

Female hockey isn’t such the rarity it once was and nine-year-old Savanah has simply grown up with it and played from an early age.

Jessica never played herself, but her dad George did and Jessica passed on athletic traits to Savanah through soccer and karate.

“I saw hockey at the ice rink, watching kids play hockey and she wanted to play ever since,” recalled Jessica. “I put her in skating lessons, starting at five.”

Savanah played initiation hockey in Duncan for a year followed by one season of novice before splitting away from the mixed groups with boys for female-only teams.

She’s now in her second year of atom under the Cowichan Valley Capitals banner and the team frequently plays against girls in higher divisions at different tournaments and does very well.

Savanah turns 10 May 28 and is still eligible for atom next year, but “we’re going to continue with the girls’ team and go peewee,” said Jessica.

Savanah is the lone girl in the competitive program from the Chemainus, Crofton and Saltair area.

“I like playing it and bodychecking,” enthused Savanah.

Yes, there is bodychecking allowed at that level and the mild-mannered, soft-spoken Savanah takes on an entirely different persona on the ice.

“With Savanah, what can I say, the best way to describe her is she was a beast for our team,” declares coach Brad Scafe. “She is a player that never quits. She battles so hard all over the ice. She scored a lot of big goals for our girls’ team this season helping us win countless games as well as tournament wins.

“Her competitive nature is contagious throughout our team and she raises the level of the other girls when they see the way she takes on any opponent. Size does not factor in the equation for her. The best part about Savanah is that she is a great teammate and a joy to coach.”

Savanah’s not only great on the ice but in the Grade 4 classroom at Crofton Elementary School where teacher Angella Campbell is one of her biggest fans.

“She’s very quiet,” noted Campbell. “She doesn’t like to brag about any of her accomplishments, but she’s an extraordinary student and a good sportsman. She is kind of a leader in the school, but mostly in the classroom.”

This is the second year Campbell’s had Savanah in her class and she’s witnessed great progress in her character development.

“I guess the biggest word I’d use for her is diligent,” she said. “She really takes an initiative and does the best she can whatever she does. I can’t say enough about her. I expect she’ll do great things in the future.”

Savanah, a forward, is a big Vancouver Canucks’ fan and her Capitals’ team just completed a brilliant season with a much better record than the Canucks that included winning the league banner - the first all-girls team to do that in a boys’ league.

“One of her goals is to be a Canucks’ player,” quipped Jessica.

The final tournament in Richmond brought together Savanah and eight other atom players with four peewee girls for the Ravens Female Ice Classic in the Peewee division. Even though the players on the opposing teams were a good foot taller than most of the underage Capitals, the girls were up for the challenge and persevered to bring home the silver medal.

Savanah knows there’s always work to be done to improve. “More shooting, all my wrist shots and snap shots,” she specified.

“She works so hard on and off the ice and always tries to challenge herself whether it’s learning more challenging math or words at school or playing and pushing herself on the ice to help the team with,” noted Jessica. “I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

With hockey season ended, Savanah is putting her athletic energy in another direction to try out lacrosse.

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Mom Jessica and daughter Savanah Sanchez are a dynamite team on and off the ice in their personal family and hockey pursuits. Below, hockey paraphernalia is everywhere in Savanah Sanchez’s bedroom and it’s rather obvious the Vancouver Canucks are her favourite team. (Photos by Don Bodger)
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Savanah Sanchez with her mom Jessica and sister Lexis, 5, on the streets for the annual Crofton Christmas parade. (Photo by Don Bodger)


Don Bodger

About the Author: Don Bodger

I've been a part of the newspaper industry since 1980 when I began on a part-time basis covering sports for the Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle.
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