The Mean Girls (Team Teal) came out on top of the 16th Whitehorse Women’s Hockey Jamboree at the Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse Saturday.

The Star spoke with Mean Girls’ captain Chantelle Rivest after their 2-0 blanking of the 16 Candles.

(The jamboree featured team names of movies from the past.)

“It was a really good game. Our team gelled right from our first game of the tournament, I think we got a little lucky in that regard and our semi-final was a really tight game that went to a shootout, so really high energy and really stoked and tried to ride that wave going into the final.

“Our goaltender definitely showed up and we knew that we wanted to keep the pressure on and really wanted to get the first goal to keep the momentum going and we did achieve that.”

The Mean Girls goaltender was Ken Binns.

“We’re very lucky to have male goalies that stuck up for us when we don’t have enough female players,” related Rivest.

Binns is also a referee in the women’s league.

Rivest said communication was one of the keys to their victory in the final.

“A lot of talking, figuring out what’s gonna work, like moving lines around. And then once things work, don’t move anything. Keep doing what you’re doing.”

Rivest said the last two goalies they faced – Breakfast Club’s Kim Stavert in the semis and 16 Candles’ Hudson Lucier in the final – were formidable opponents for the winning team.

Rivest said Lucier is “tall and fills up the net. We had to try and get him moving. I think both of our goals we scored on him were rebounds, which we were kind of expecting.”

Of Stavert, Rivest said, “She’s a smaller goalie but incredibly agile. We knew we needed to pepper the net and shoot hard and crash the net.

“Both of the goalies played outstanding.”

Rivest’s mom Cheryl Rivest was also on the team.

“I get to play with my mom (Cheryl Rivest) and I’m so incredibly lucky for being able to do that.”

In the third place final, Dirty Dancing (Green) outscored Clueless (Maroon) 6-3, despite controlling the majority of the play.

The Green team’s goalie, Lorianne LeBlanc, was the difference in the game.

The Star spoke with the Green’s Georgette McLeod after their victory.

“I think we needed the one win before this game to really amp up our game so we took on the next level and it was so much fun. As soon as we got that one win, we got a lift, and we had a little extra help, a little tasty drinks to get us going.”

McLeod said that their attitude was the key to the win.

“It’s just so much fun. The women are so supportive of each other, when we play the game.

“Even if you’re feeling terrible and you didn’t do a good pass or you missed the puck and let one in, it’s amazing the morale of the women to be able to pull together the way they do, and we have so much fun doing it as well.”

McLeod said the jamboree got off to a rocky start for the Green team.

“The rest of the tournament was a tough slog because we lost all of our games except for the last two, so ended on a high note and we’re all feeling good and ready to have a big meal together and enjoy each other’s company.”

According to McLeod, Yukon communities were well represented.

“There are women who come from all over the communities like Dawson, Haines Junction, some women from out of town, which is always great to have them down here.”

McLeod herself is from Dawson City. She said another “jambo” is coming up.

“We’re looking forward to the next jambo (in Haines Junction). A lot of the women from Whitehorse go to that.”

There’s also another jamboree scheduled for Whitehorse in the spring.

“We have a lot of tournaments over the winter, which is so great.”

McLeod had some kind words about Green goalie LeBlanc.

“She’s amazing. She definitely stands out as an awesome goalie. She’s stopped so many goals this weekend. And of top of it, she was organizer for this tournament. She’s put in an incredible amount of work and she’s made it so much fun for us.”

McLeod added, “It’s been a fantastic weekend and I really enjoyed playing and seeing a lot of smiling faces around the arena this weekend.”