The Whitehorse Women’s Hockey Association (WWHA) had the Female Hockey Jamboree over the weekend at Takhini Arena; it was the 10th anniversary of the event.

Jamboree organizer Kim Lisgo said via email that the idea to host a jamboree tournament came from a trip to Juneau.

“A trip to the 2005 Juneau Jamboree was the inspiration,” said Lisgo in the email. “The first WWHA Jamboree was held in 2009 when organizers felt there were enough players to fill four teams.”

The Jamboree continues to be a popular event garnering interest from outside the Yukon. Lisgo says that a lot of work has been put in to grow the women’s hockey community.

“The Jamboree continues to be a popular tournament and attract players from outside of Whitehorse. We had registrants from as far away as Old Crow and Edmonton,” said Lisgo. “From 2003-2008, a lot of effort was put into growing the women’s hockey community, which included drop-in hockey, skills and drills, fostering a fun culture, and loaning gear to new players.”

The tournament is still helping grow female hockey in the community.

“The Jamboree provides an opportunity for players not in the league to play hockey. For players that are new to Whitehorse, it is a great introduction to the WWHA community and the style of hockey that we play.”

Unlike conventional tournaments, players register as individuals and the organizers compile the teams. The Top-Shelf Titans beat the Wrap-Around Warriors to win the third place game. The Hat-Track Heroines defeated the Break-Away Bandits winning the final in a tightly contested game.

Lisgo says the championship game and the entire Jamboree saw competitive play.

“This year, all of the teams were very closely matched,” said Lisgo.

“Neither team could afford to hold back without risking the game.”