The Esso Cup is only 32 days away and the Pembina Valley Hawks were recently crowned Manitoba Female Midget Hockey League (MFMHL) champions, after completing the sweep of the Westman Wildcats Sunday.

Pembina Valley had a perfect run through the playoffs and swept the Central Plains Capitals 3-1, 3-0, and 6-3 in the quarterfinals, then in the semi-finals the Hawks brought the brooms out again and ended the Winnipeg Avros season in three straight. PV won 2-1, 2-0, and 1-0 (2OT) to advance to the final series against the league's top team, the Westman Wildcats. The Hawks took game one 3-0 in Hartney, came back to Morden squeaked out a 2-1 win and completed the sweep Sunday in double OT by a score of 2-1.

It was five years ago when the Hawks captured the organization's first Esso Cup in Charlottetown Prince Edward Island.

"I was walking passed the trophy case here in Morden and saw the cup back behind the glass. It's nice to see that your name is on there, for a team that you coached," explained 2012 Hawks assistant coach Reid Sloan. "That was a great year. It was just a very successful year and getting to go to P.E.I. and seeing the beautiful scenery out there. The girls, you couldn't ask for a better group. They were very skilled and had different roles and we gelled together."

2012 was Pembina Valley's first and only appearance at the national championship, which is held in a different community across the country every year.

"What sticks out is a pretty strong regular season with a great group of kids. I know that as a team we came together pretty early that year," said 2012 Hawks head coach Jeff Andrews. "It really propelled us to a really strong regular season and a lot of great results. That translated into a playoff run where we went undefeated. Rolled into Westerns, obviously against Notre Dame. A team that had foiled Pembina Valley the past couple of years. We were able to take the first two games of that best-of-three and head off to an Esso Cup."

Pembina Valley defeated the Winnipeg Avros 9-0, 2-0, and 5-2 to win the MFMHL, then won the Western Qualifiers best-of-three series over the Notre Dame Hounds in two straight, 2-1 and 3-2.

At the Esso Cup tournament, Pembina Valley kicked it off with a 1-0 win over Team Pacific. Then followed that up with a 4-0 win over Quebec, a 2-1 victory over Atlantic, a 4-2 win over the host Charlottetown, and then lost 5-4 to Team Ontario in the final game of the round robin.

The Hawks beat team Pacific 2-1 in the semifinals and got revenge in the championship game and doubled up Ontario 4-2.

"Getting a real quick start and playing the type of hockey we wanted to play. That translating to us maintaining the lead as the game progressed," said Andrews. "The final ten minutes of that game where you are kind of locking everything down and trying to minimize the chances they are getting as the clock ticks down. The intensity increases and the concentration the kids had at that moment and time. Once that final buzzer goes and you realize you've just won a national championship and just the pride you feel for those kids because you know how hard they've worked. You are just so happy for them because you've achieved a major goal you as a team earlier in the year. There was just a feeling overall happiness."

This experience of going to an Esso Cup championship is more than just a hockey tournament for the girls who will be coming to the City of Morden to compete for a chance to be named national champions. This is a time for them to make lifelong memories with a team that they went to battle with night in and night out, just to get to this point. It's also a time to get out of each of the teams home provinces (except the host team) and see another part of the great country we call home.

"Just live in the moment. You have an opportunity to do something special and don't take it for granted," explained Sloan. "Go out do what you can and play your best. It's just like any other game and ya, there might be some higher stakes attached to it. You are there for a reason. I've watched this team before and they are all good players and all of the teams coming in will be very talented as well. Take every day in and make sure you are willing to create those memories as well."

The Esso Cup will take place April 23rd to 29th at the Access Event Centre in Morden.

Previous Volumes;

Road To The Esso Cup Volume 1

Road To The Esso Cup Volume 2

Road To The Esso Cup Volume 3

Road To The Esso Cup Volume 4

Road To The Esso Cup Volume 5