Support Local Hockey: Big season for U13 AA Bearcats

By: Tim Durkin / Quinte News

Some hockey seasons are measured in wins and losses. Others are remembered long after the final buzzer because of what a team accomplished together.

For the 2025–26 Belleville Bearcats U13AA team, the numbers tell a remarkable story all on their own. Sixty games, 55 wins, a 933 winning percentage, ranked second in all of Canada. But even those extraordinary numbers do not fully capture what made this season so special.

The Bearcats did not simply have a successful season. They established themselves as one of the dominant U13AA teams in the country, collecting championship after championship and putting together a season that will be remembered as one of the finest in Belleville girls’ hockey history.

A Championship Season Begins

The journey began in the fall with the Oshawa Lady Generals Fall Classic.

Belleville immediately announced itself as a team to watch, going a perfect 4–0 through the tournament. The Bearcats scored 18 goals while allowing just one, finishing first in the round-robin standings before advancing through the playoffs.They defeated Kitchener 7–0 in the semifinal and then shut out Bluewater 4–0 in the championship game to claim their first tournament gold of the season.

It was an early indication of what was to come.

The Bearcats continued their remarkable run into October, capturing gold at the Etobicoke Pink the Rink Tournament and as the regular season progressed, Belleville’s consistency became the defining characteristic of the team. Game after game, the Bearcats kept winning. By the end of the regular season, Belleville had secured first place, eventually capturing the East Division championship.

They were not finished.

The Bearcats added another major piece to their collection by winning gold at the OWHL Southern Championship. They won the final game in a shootout, with goalie Sophie Coles stopping all five shooters, and became league champions. With the division championship and league championship already secured, only one prize remained.

The Provincial Championship

The Bearcats entered the OWHA Provincial Championship tournament carrying the expectations that come with being one of Ontario’s top U13AA teams.

They delivered.

Belleville completed the provincial tournament undefeated, going 6–0 and finishing the season as provincial champions. The championship run included one of the most dramatic games of the entire season — a triple-overtime semi-final battle against Burlington. With both teams refusing to give an inch, the game continued through three overtime periods.

Then came the moment that would define the championship run.

Kennedy Bateman scored the winning goal in triple overtime, sending the Bearcats to the finals against a strong East Ottawa Stars team where they won 3-0. It was a fitting way to win a championship for a team that had spent the entire season refusing to give opponents an easy path to victory.

When the final celebrations arrived, the Bearcats had accomplished something extraordinary. They had won the East Division championship, OWHL Southern Championship, and the OWHA Provincial Championship.

A championship trifecta — a Triple Crown.