The U13 Western Prairie Thunder will be back on the ice tonight following their provincial championship win on the weekend, and they will be taking on the same opponent from Sunday's final in the Wood River Ice Cats.

They dominated yet again to take the provincial banner, but will now have to re-adjust to face a hungry team coming off a defeat when they lace it up tonight.

READ: U13 Western Prairie Thunder win provincial final at home

Following that game we caught with a few personnel members with the team, and manager Shantelle Missere had some great things to say about a pretty special group of girls.

"We lost our first game in the first round of provincials and then we haven't lost since. The game (on Sunday) had I bet 700 people watching."

It's always good to see fanfare at the games, but there is no doubt that this impressive girls team has caught the attention of interested hockey fans. The girls have to feel on top of the world with their recent success.

"We surprised them and put fake champagne in the dressing room," shared Missere with a smile, "They thought it was pretty cool to open that up and celebrate."

It has been a true team effort, and one that is inspiring the next generation of Western Prairie players.

"17 girls on the team and everyone has grown so much this year. There were also younger girls at the game watching, excited for playing on a girls hockey team one day. Which is huge, because a few years ago there weren't even enough girls to have a team."

Now the Western Prairie Female Hockey teams are known province wide. The season itself has been something out of a storybook, as the girls just kept on winning and increasing their competition along the way.

"We had boy's teams inviting us to tournaments because we were playing well, and we beat a lot of boy's teams. Not every boy's team enjoyed that but it was good for the girls to be challenged and have to play harder teams. It was good."

They always play to win, with a confidence instilled in them by their amazing coaching staff consisting of volunteers that were former impressive players themselves. Head Coach Blain Hilbig has history in hockey as well as two sons currently playing for the Kindersley Jr. Klippers; Assistant Coach Amber Rennie is NCAA women's hockey alumni for Robert Morris University; and John Calkins along with Tyson Wuttunee are well known senior hockey stars from the area.

Missere commended the coaches and their effort.

"You can put a lot of it on the coaches. They have done a pretty amazing job with the girls. Keeping them jelling, and playing as a team. We had a couple injuries, but they still managed to feel a part of the team. That says a lot about coaching, that everyone is included and everyone gets ice time and everything is fair."

Again the U13 Western Prairie Thunder are on the ice tonight for Game 1 of the Sask FHL league finals. The winner of tonight's game will have a chance to win it all when the series returns to Kindersley, and if not, the winner will be decided on Sunday at the West Central Events Centre in Kindersley.

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