Pronghorns are a species of antelope known for being the fastest animal in North America.
Pronghorns are also a kickass ringette team from the University of Lethbridge.
In case you didn’t know, ringette is a Canadian winter sport played on ice, similar to hockey.
Ringette players use a unique stick to shoot a ring into the other team’s net.
The sport may sound simple, but the rules are pretty complicated.
How Does This Work?
Each team has six players, including two defenders, two forwards, a centre, and a goalie.
The rink is divided by several blue lines. Players are not allowed to carry the ring over these lines and must pass it to a teammate.
In addition to blue lines, the rink is also separated by red lines. These areas are called free play lines, and only three players from each team are allowed in.
The goal crease is also a special area for goalies where other players aren’t allowed in. All the while, players are under pressure from a shot clock, similar to basketball.
One of the biggest differences between hockey and ringette is that ringette is a no-contact sport. Some argue ringette is faster-paced than hockey and has harder rules.
No matter what you believe, there’s no denying the Lethbridge team is good at what they do.
The team faced off against 15 other teams at the Ringette University Cup last month.
The competition took place in Ottawa at Carleton University. The Pronghorns were led by Team Captain Francesca Teskey, taking the reins for her fourth season.
The Teskey Tour De Force,
But Francesca wasn’t the only Teskey on the team. Her sister, Millie, also showed off her skills at the competition.
In the Pronghorns‘ match against Dalhousie University, Millie stole the show by scoring four out of six goals. As one of 11 rookies on the team, Millies’ breakout was a surprise.
The Teskey sisters dominated in their match against Western University.
The Pronghorns were behind Western by two points in the third period, but Francesca quickly shortened the gap with a breakaway goal, bringing the score to 2-1.
Pronghorns’ Kennedy Poole evened the match with another goal, but Western managed to sneak another point in before the period ended.
The score was 3-2 heading into the fourth period, but Western’s lead didn’t last long.
Millie threaded the needle with an impressive shot that passed through Western’s defence and goalie.
The Pronghorns won the match 5-4 and were set to face off against Western again in the gold medal match.
Western started the match with a vengeance, securing a two-point lead.
Unfortunately, the Pronghorns couldn’t make up the distance and lost the gold medal game 1-3.
The Teskey Touch
Together, the Teskey sisters from Cochrane played a big role in securing the silver medal for the Pronghorns, but they couldn’t have done it without their team.
For a team of mostly rookies, the Pronghorns’ performance was incredible. According to Francesca, the team gelled well together.
“We might not have been the fastest or most skilled team, but I think the bond we had created such an incredible tournament for us. We actually ended up coming second in the Tier 1 division, which was incredible, against Western University,” said Francesca.
The Teskey sisters also celebrated their first time playing together. Both sisters have played ringette for many years but couldn’t play together due to their age groups.
“We’ve grown so much closer playing together, and we just worked so well on the ice together. We just know where we are at all times, and we get to plan a line together, which is pretty cool,” expressed Francesca.
Francesca and Millie are both studying kinesiology at Lethbridge, but Francesca only has one more year before she graduates and hopes to become a physiotherapist.
Francesca is focused on enjoying one more year of playing ringette for the Pronghorns with her sister.
“Shoutout to my whole team who worked incredibly hard over the six days we were there, and to our coaches who always believed in us and helped us get there…and definitely to all the parents and fans. They were incredible during the tournament. Like feeding us amazing meals and cheering for us so loudly,” she said.
Francesca may be hanging up her ringette stick next year, but Millie has proven she has what it takes to carry the torch. This year’s roster of rookies could go on to become national champions!
