More and more Cochrane girls are enjoying the sport of hockey and that is thanks in part to the annual Spring Girls Fun Day.

Organized by Cochrane Minor Hockey with the support of the Esso Fun Day program, this year's event was held Apr. 6 and attracted almost 100 girls from absolute beginners to those seeking to polish up their skills. Thirty-six of them were brand new to the sport and you can tell by the smiles on the faces of both the girls and their parents they appreciated the free event.

"We received tons of great feedback and all the kids had a great time," says Lorne Bremner,  female development coordinator for Cochrane Minor Hockey and one of the coaches. "We received lots of messages after the fact about how much fun they had."

There were also nine girls, all under 9, trying their hand at goaltending first time with the guidance of P3's Krister Toews and Kaylin Schellenberg, goaltender for the SAIT Trojans female hockey team.

Many certified coaches were on the ice for each session and Bremner was impressed with the number of girls hockey mentors, from atom through midget, lending a hand.

Lila Larribeau and Brynn Makkreel posed by the Clarkson Cup with Inferno goalie Lindsey Post to the side. Post brought it to the CMH girls hockey banquet.A special treat during a separate Friday night CMA girls banquet was the arrival of the Clarkson Cup with special guest Lindsey Post, goalie with the CFHL national champion Calgary Inferno.

The spring fun day will continue next year, says Bremner. They'll be making some adjustments, as they do annually. In particular, they are considering holding a fun 3-on-3 tournament for the older and experienced players.

Before you know it, registration will be open for the CMHA 2019-20 season. Registration for returning players opens on May 1 and new players registration opens May 16 at 9 a.m.

There is a huge demand for initial level girls hockey, notes Bremner, and he recommends parents register as soon as it opens to avoid disappointment.

Details are available at www.cochraneminorhockey.com.