Jason La Rose
The Winnipeg Ice are FINALLY going to the Esso Cup.
The proverbial bridesmaid when it comes to women’s U18 hockey in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the Ice has had its fingertips on a place at Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship in recent years, only to come up just short.
Since the Esso Cup returned in 2022 following a two-year hiatus thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Winnipeg won the Manitoba Female Hockey League (MFHL) championship in 2023 and 2024, falling to the Regina Rebels in the West Regional series both years, and dropped the MFHL final in 2022.
After a down year last year—it lost in the semifinals—the Ice bounced back in 2025-26.
Winnipeg dominated the regular season, losing just twice in regulation time in 28 games and allowing only 37 goals. It put four players in the top 10 of MFHL scoring, led by No. 6 point-getter Cassie Carvalho (19-15—34), and goaltenders Isla Matthews (1.13) and Gina Plett (1.33) were second and fourth, respectively, in goals-against average.
After easing past the Interlake Lightning in a three-game sweep (outscoring the Lightning 20-3), the Ice avenged its semifinal loss from 2025 against its cross-city rivals, the Winnipeg Avros, in four games.
That set up a marquee final against the defending champion Eastman Selects, who finished just a single point behind the Ice in the regular season and had a better goal differential (+99 to +77).
After the teams traded shutouts in the first two games, Winnipeg got overtime goals from Chloe Nicolas and Gabby Robbins to reclaim the MFHL championship for the third time in four years.
It rode that momentum into the West Regional on home ice, downing the Battlefords Sharks, the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League champions, in three games, with Callie Adams scoring the game-winner on the power play with 6:14 left in the third period of a 4-3 Game 3 win.
The victory over the Sharks ended a long drought for MFHL teams; not since the Pembina Valley Hawks in 2012 had the Manitoba champions beaten the Saskatchewan titlists in the West series. The good news for Winnipeg? Those Hawks went on to win Manitoba’s lone national championship that year.
HOW THEY GOT TO DIEPPE
Manitoba Female Hockey League Quarterfinal: defeated Interlake Lightning 3-0 (5-0, 7-1, 8-2) Semifinal: defeated Winnipeg Avros 3-1 (1-2 OT, 3-2 OT, 5-3, 4-1) Final: defeated Eastman Selects 3-1 (0-5, 2-0, 2-1 OT, 3-2 OT)
West Regional Final: defeated Battlefords Sharks 2-1 (4-2, 1-4, 4-3)
REGULAR SEASON
Record (W-L-OTL): 25-2-1 (1st in MFHL) Goals for: 114 (2nd in MFHL) Goals against: 37 (2nd in MFHL) Longest winning streak: 12 (Nov. 29-Feb. 7) Top 3 scorers: - Cassie Carvalho (19G 15A 34P – 6th in MFHL) - Maren Temple (14G 17A 31P – 7th in MFHL) - Sophie Woznesensky (14G 17A 31P – 8th in MFHL)
PLAYOFFS
Record: 11-3 Goals for: 49 Goals against: 28 Top 3 scorers: - Cassie Carvalho (6G 15A 21P) - Kate Cairns (7G 10A 17P) - Claire Hudson (7G 8A 15P)
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
First appearance
UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTS
Cassie Carvalho (University of British Columbia) Chloe Delaquis (York University) Claire Hudson (Minot State University) Talia Jones (Université Laval) Aliyah Teixeira (University of Regina)