(November 10, 2021 Aurora, Ontario) – The Central York Girls Hockey
Association is pleased to announce that their 2021-22 Jr Panther, Abby Lunney,
has been selected for Team Ontario Blue in this weekend’s U18 Central Canada Challenge Cup at the
Nottawasaga Inn and Resort in Alliston, Ontario.
Team Ontario Blue will be facing off against Team Ontario Red and Team Quebec in a mini series to showcase the best talent from Central Canada from Nov 12 - 14.
Abby has been an integral part of the Central York Panthers at every level. Her teams have won gold at the OWHA Provincials three times and have been top contenders every year. Over the years of being a Panther Abby has ignited the dreams of many young Panthers to play at the highest levels and succeed on the grandest stages. Being selected to Team Ontario Blue is a tremendous accomplishment for this lifelong Panther.
Abby began her Panther career at the Fundamentals stage and she has never left. She is currently in her first year with the Central York Jr Panthers and was chosen by her teammates to be an Assistant Captain. Abby represents all that is great about the Central York Girls Hockey Association. She is an outstanding player but more importantly she is an outstanding person that happens to play hockey. Abby is always wearing her Pantherwear with the utmost pride and she is always looking for opportunities to give back to the younger Panthers as well as the entire Central York community at large. Finding Abby at a practice helping out another team as a puck pusher or showing up at one of the several CYGHA tournaments to help with running a registration table or silent auction is very common.
Abby has always been someone that takes on challenges head first. She doesn’t see how growth and comfort can coexist. She loves to push herself and embrace the grind of a relentless work ethic. Her pursuit of excellence in whatever she does has led her to be one of the top players in Ontario. Her selection this year comes in her first year of eligibility for the U18 Team Ontario High Performance program and shows an extreme amount of recognition from Team Ontario for Abby’s talents both on and off of the ice. This first year selection follows in her previous Team Ontario selections as an underager back in 2019 for the Team Ontario U16 High Performance Summer Development Camp.
Abby really loves the people here at Central York, “I have been lucky enough to play my whole minor hockey career for the Panthers organization. I love walking into the rink and seeing all of the younger Panthers smiling and looking up to us as role models. The Panthers organization has been my second family, my home away from home and a place filled with infinite memories, amazing experiences, and friendships for a lifetime.”
Abby is ecstatic about this opportunity for herself but also to showcase all of the great things going on at the CYGHA. Her current team the Central York Jr Panthers are off to their best start since the inception of the program back in 2006. The current group of Jr Panthers have made it a mission of theirs to leave a legacy of family, team culture, and high performance in their time here before they move on to University hockey. Abby will be joining the Nipissing Lakers of the Ontario University Athletics Association in 2023 and going to Nipissing University. This is noteworthy because Abby had multiple offers from NCAA schools but chose to stay and play in Canada and show the younger Panther generation that not only can you stay and play your whole career in the CYGHA and be successful but you can also get to play at the University of your choice.
We are so very proud of you Abby!