When the hockey season started in September, Calleja Misson and Amy Polvere knew there was a chance they could soon represent their hometown of Penticton on the national stage.
They first had the tall order, however, of leading the U18 AAA Thompson-Okanagan Lakers to a B.C. provincial championship before they could help the team solidify its spot in the prestigious Canada-wide Esso Cup.
And yet — even as the only two Penticton-based players on a team that pulls athletes from Kamloops to Osoyoos and even Trail — here they are, about to shine on the nationwide platform.
On Sunday, April 21, Misson and Polvere will be in Vernon for the 2024 Esso Cup, which brings together five regional champions from across the nation.
While Misson is a Grade 12 student at Princess Margaret, Polvere is in Grade 9 at Penticton Secondary and serves as one of the Lakers’ youngest players.
The two local stars will lead Thompson-Okanagan in Vernon this weekend when they open the tournament against Nova Scotia’s Northern Selects.
Although the team is serving as the host of the 2024 Esso Cup, it took a three-game series win against Fraser Valley Rush in March to solidify its spot atop the province.
The Lakers will be the only B.C.-based team at the tournament, as a result.
With Misson and Polvere being the only players from Penticton on the team, one parent told the Western News it was a long journey for the duo to make it to this point.
Driving to Vernon and Kelowna for practices three times a week, and hitting B.C.’s winter roads for games on the Lower Mainland are just a few of the reasons why, said Cynthia Misson.
“There’s definitely a ton of excitement for them to play in a national tournament,” she said, adding that the duo had already helped the Lakers win the Female World Sport School Tournament in Winnipeg in January. “The girls have bonded and they’re there for one another…parents are there ready to support them and we’re just super proud of all the girls.”
Esso Cup games are being played at Kal Tire Place, which is also home to the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers.
Gold and bronze medals games will take place on April 27.
The Lakers are led by general manager Kevin Bathurst and head coach Ed Patterson.
READ MORE: Here’s what’s happening this weekend in Penticton