Why do these girls love ringette so much?

Perhaps it's because the sport of ringette owes its very origins to this neck of the woods — first envisioned by a pair of men from North Bay and Espanola, who sought to find a winter sport for girls.

Perhaps it's because given the countless options now available for active youngsters those who do participate in ringette are often excessively active.

Whatever the reason, there is no denying the core fanatics striving to grow ringette in Northern Ontario take on a stewardship for the game, doing everything in their power to spread the word about their particular passion.

For those who compete in local circles, that often means donning two or three different team jerseys over the course of the season, finding teammates in those who were foes only days earlier.

The fact they tackle this challenge with unabashed enthusiasm is a testament to these girls, a trio of whom we recently caught up with at a game at the T.M. Davies Community Centre.

On this particular night, 13-year-old Kaitlyn Chevrier is representing the Sudbury Ringette Association houseleague team, taking to the ice opposite a small handful of girls who share the same bench as members of the Sudbury Provincial A team.

A decade ago, Chevrier shared the hockey vs. ringette dilemma of many young female Canadians, coming to a decision that would shape much of her formative years in sports.

"I started with the Timbits ringette program, which teaches you all the fundamentals, and developed a lot of friendships and stuck with it," said Chevrier.

Not blessed with natural skating ability, she worked hard to develop her game, earning a thorough grasp of the concepts that can be tricky at the outset. With the ice time she logs, it didn't take long — Chevrier suits up for three different teams at three different levels this year.

Across the ice, Alexandra Bloomfield is only a few years shy of Chevrier's on-ice experience in ringette, though the difference is negligible.

And though she struggles at times to find exactly the right words to convey the feelings that keep drawing her back to ringette, Bloomfield is completely at ease on the ice, her powerful stride accentuated with that ability to gather the ring at top speed and fire it to a teammate.

"The adrenaline, the feeling when you’re on the ice, everything about it," Bloomfield says with a smile. "Most people, when they think about ringette, think that it’s a copy of hockey. It’s not just about skating up and down the ice with a ring – it’s so much more technical than that."

"It's more similar to basketball," Bloomfield says.

For Emily Punkari, the hockey/ringette debate might never end.

Part and parcel of growing up with cousins who are established names on the flip-side of this coin. Making the crossover from dance to ringette at the age of three, Punkari looks forward to testing herself against Chevrier and others this evening, with the Walden Ringette Association crew holding home ice advantage in this regional showdown.

"It’s sometimes hard, because they know how to read us and they know the plays that we use," said Punkari. "But I think it’s fun. You get more ice time, and get to play with different people."

When it comes to team sports for young females, there is no denying that the social component of the experience consistently dwarfs that which the boys appear to enjoy.

So while competing for the Northeast AA team provides a wonderfully competitive outlet for this talented trio, there are compelling reasons to return to their roots with the sport.

"I get to play with my friends," noted Chevrier. "I’ve been playing with a lot of these guys since bunnies. Some of my best friends are on this team."

That, and a deeply rooted love of the sport, will keep these girls and others coming back to ringette, year after year after year.