Callie Rice enjoying time out west
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/04/2023 (936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
This year has been one of change for Brandon’s Callie Rice.
After an impressive 2021-22 season with the Westman Wildcats in the Manitoba Female Hockey League Under-18 AAA circuit, the Grade 10 student moved to British Columbia to join the Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna under-18 female prep team that plays in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.
“It’s felt busy at times, especially early on as I was looking for a place to live and getting used to not being with close family, but I felt like this would be a good fit for me and it’s all seemed to work out perfectly so far,” Rice said.
Brandon's Callie Rice gives a shove to Danica Maynard during Manitoba's matchup with British Columbia at the 2023 Canada Winter Games. (Photo Courtesy Karrie Costain/Canada Winter Games)
Rice made her first trip to the school for a showcase event last year and said that it was a big eye-opener for her.
She knew a few of the players with the program — including Winnipeg product Keara Parker and Vancouver Giants draft pick Chloe Primerano — and had a couple of family members in the area, which helped to make the moving process a bit easier.
“I think it would have been a huge challenge for me if there is no one here that I could talk with or get some help from while I was adjusting to everything,” Rice said.
“There’s been a lot of adjustments, such as going to school for half a day and being at the rink for the other half, or flying out to games against certain schools and not travelling with your family like you do in minor hockey, but it’s been a lot of fun.”
The Rink U18 team, which is coached by former Western Hockey League player Kris Hogg, spends most of the season playing in showcase events throughout western Canada.
It culminated the campaign on March 16 in Penticton, B.C., with a 4-3 overtime win over Shawnigan Lake School in the CSSHL female prep final.
“That final weekend was definitely one where we all had to be on the top of our games,” Rice said. “We had to be prepared for anything that could happen in a short amount of time.
“This league has some of the top girls in Canada who are already playing for national teams, so you have to push yourself to find that extra level to get to where they are.”
After leading the Wildcats in scoring last year during the regular season (20 points in 23 games) and playoffs (13 points in 10 games) to help the team capture the league title, Rice recorded 15 points in 25 games this season at Rink.
While her role on the team is different, Rice feels like she’s made a lot of strides, especially in the physical and mental side of the game.
“It isn’t easy when you find yourself as one of the younger players on the team, but you just got to keep pushing and things start to change for you once you get more and more used to the league,” Rice said.
“I knew there was going to be quite a difference when I came here but it didn’t really hit me until I had my first practice and game. I felt like I caught on pretty quickly though and I’ve gotten better ever since.”
Callie Rice poses with the CSSHL female prep championship trophy after helping the Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 team beat Shawnigan Lake School in the final last month. (Photo Submitted)
One of the highlights of the season for Rice was when she joined Manitoba’s U18 squad at the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island.
“That was a really cool experience and it was pretty awesome to see some friends from back home after some time away,” said Rice, who scored in Manitoba’s tournament-closing win over New Brunswick.
Rice also said that the Winter Games and the championship runs with the Wildcats and Rink U18 teams have helped to make up for the lost year that she had in 2020-21 when COVID-19 brought a halt to hockey in Manitoba just as it was getting back underway.
“I think a lot of us felt like we had some catching up to do when we all came back,” Rice said. “It’s been a busy last couple of years, but I’m so glad to be back playing again.”
After finishing up her studies in June, Rice plans to return to Brandon for the summer before heading back to Kelowna for her second season at Rink.
With her long-term goal being to play hockey at a post-secondary level, she is also starting to learn more about different schools before determining what’s best for her.
“It’s all those little things like what coaches look for in a player that I’m going to be digging into,” Rice said. “There’s definitely going to be a lot of research into that, along with building up my skills, in order to have a good season next year.”
» lpunkari@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @lpunkari