DIEPPE, New Brunswick – The Red Deer Chiefs have won their first Esso Cup, edging past the Stoney Creek Sabres 4-3 in overtime in the gold medal game Saturday night at Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship.
Jensyn Stephenson (Bentley, AB) was the hero for Red Deer, scoring her second goal of the game 3:50 of the extra period. Stephenson also scored the game-tying goal in the third period, and finished with a tournament-leading 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in seven games.
“Honestly, I just flashbacked to the whole season,” Stephenson said after scoring the winner. “Everything we’ve been through and such incredible people I’ve been able to do it with, alongside 19 of my best friends I was just thinking ‘Yeah, this is it, this is our time.’”
Macy Morrison (Sylvan Lake, AB) and Reece Lacina (Sylvan Lake, AB) had the other goals for the Chiefs, scoring four minutes apart in the first period to give the Chiefs an early 2-0 lead.
Oliva De Caria (Hamilton, ON) and Ryleigh O’Brien (Burlington, ON) pulled Stoney Creek even before the end of the second period, and De Caria capitalized on a turnover just 90 seconds into the third period to give the Sabres their first lead of the game. Stephenson would make it 3-3 game just 3:06 later, setting the stage for overtime.
“It’s something we have been building for,” said Red Deer head coach Don Morrison. “What these girls have gone through and how they’ve come together–we’ve been on an amazing journey the last half of the season and this just capped it off in a perfect way.”
Northern Selects defeat Moncton Rockets 4-0 to win bronze
Earlier in the day, the Northern Selects made history—becoming the first team from Atlantic Canada to medal at the Esso Cup with a 4-0 win over the host Moncton Rockets in the bronze medal game.
Ali Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) scored what would hold up as the eventual game-winner at 13:17 of the opening period before the Selects put the game away with three more goals in the third period; Lexi MacIntryre (Westville, NS) scored on the power play, Chisholm netted her second of the game and Laila Burris (Salmon River, NS) found the empty net with 2:42 left.
Amy Field (Valley, NS) earned the shutout with 35 saves, including 27 through the first two periods.
“It’s an amazing feeling, getting to win–we did it and it feels good,” said Field. “This means so much, to know we made Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada proud and for it to be us [to be the first Atlantic team to win a medal in their fifth appearance in the last seven tournaments], it feels like it should have been us. This is an amazing group of girls and every single person in our dressing room played a part today and we couldn’t have done it without everyone.”
Following the game, the Esso Cup tournament award winners were announced:
Most Valuable Player – Hali-Rose MacLean (Antigonish, NS / Northern Selects)
Top Forward – Ivy Johnston (Hagersville, ON / Stoney Creek Sabres)
Top Defender – Audrey Poirier (Shediac, NB / Moncton Rockets)
Top Goaltender – Brylee Hull (Sylvan Lake, AB / Red Deer Chiefs)
Most Sportsmanlike Player – Livia Landry (Lévis, QC / As de Québec)
Esso Cup Scholarship – Talia Jones (Winnipeg, MB / Winnipeg Ice)
For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2026 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.