Gyphon girls going for gold

NEW GLASGOW - When Emily Dicks was in Grade 10, the North Nova Gryphon girls hockey team didn't have a goalie to start the year.
They lost practically every game.
Hockey is fun even when you lose, Dicks knows, but over the last two seasons she's come to realize winning is even more fun.
She hopes to help her team do just that as they host the fourth annual North Nova Female Hockey Tournament this weekend. The action starts on Friday.
Last year the Gryphons won to keep the gold at home which makes protecting the local treasure more important than ever to the team, said head coach Andrew Francis.
"It's really important," he said. "We won it last year. There's something special about winning on home ice."
Francis has coached the Gryphon girls for five years now. He said they started the tournament so they could get more games in. Since then it has improved.
"It's been a growing process," Francis said. "Now we're adding things like a skills competition."
It's been successful thanks to the support of parents who volunteer, he said.
"For me as a coach, it's unbelievable."
It's become a tournament that local players have circled on their calendar.
"I guess they just love playing in front of the home crowds," he said. "I know a lot of them have been looking forward to this the whole season."
In addition to North Nova, there are five other teams competing: Eastern Shore, Dalbrae Dragons, Kings Edgehill School, Cobequid Educational Centre and Northumberland.
"We expect a challenge from all five teams," Francis said.
As they prepare he is encouraging the girls to stick with what has worked for them in the past.
"Dance with the one who brought you," he says.
This year instead of choosing a player of the game, the Gryphons have decided to select "Three Stars" for each game and make a donation to Right to Play in their name.
Right to Play is a non-profit that provides underprivileged children in developing countries an opportunity to play sports.
Don Breen, chairman of the tournament, said they also are cutting the tournament pass fees by 50 percent to entice donations for Haiti Relief.
"We are very proud of our host team, NNEC Gryphons, for doing this," he said.
Breen said it has taken countless hours of volunteer time to get ready for this.
"Pictou County is known province-wide for hosting top-notch tournaments including a superb hospitality suite," he said. "Our goal is to maintain the tradition that the County is known for. We want to ensure that all our visiting teams and host team have lots of fun, play hockey for what it is, a game and also develop new friendships. We also want to make our visitors feel welcome and leave with fond memories of a fun weekend."
Dicks said she can't wait to play the tournament.
"It's really fun," she said. "You play a lot of hockey and it's competitive. It's a really good chance to practise for playoffs and see some team you might see at provincials."
She has only one colour in her mind when she thinks about the outcome of this tournament and even provincials - gold.
"I hope we make provincials," she said. "I have faith that we can definitely end up in the championship game and hopefully win it. It'd be a nice way to end Grade 12."
Not to mention that it's a far cry from where she started her Grade 10 year.