For Ed Mauro's U18 Female Prep 2024-25 squad, there has not been a more consistent duo than that of star defenders Attica Sobering and Neve Cockerill.

"I know what I'm getting from Attica and Neve every night," Coach Mauro told Game On. "Attica's a 2009-born player and Neve's a 2008. They're both very gifted players who have lots of upside, lots of skill and can be key members of our team moving forward. They're both great kids, very hardworking and they actually want to get better. That's the biggest thing I'm looking for in this team."

What Separates Them: The Willingness to Improve

For Mauro, players sharing a willingness to improve goes significantly further than that of naturally-gifted players stuck in their ways.

"That's truly a key separator between skilled players and those higher-end players who are putting in the work, right?" he added. "It's that they have that will to get better. It's there and makes itself present. And these two have that going for them. They can both carry the puck, they can both shoot the puck, they both have a lot of good skills. The next step here for us is just teaching and reinforcing them on how to play on both sides of the puck at that next level."

Attica Sobering

New to RINK, Immediate Impact

Both Cockerill and Sobering are new to the RINK's second-year head coach, as the two joined Winnipeg's U18 program for the 2024-25 season. Sobering — who hails from Thompson — played 2023-24 with the U15 Norman Northstars last season, while Winnipeg's Cockerill suited up for Balmoral Hall in the Junior Women's Hockey League.

"Attica came over from playing boys hockey," Mauro chuckled. "So, naturally, she's a very physical player. And that most certainly helps her. She can battle in the corner and is very strong. She has a very good shot that we want her to use a little more often. And Neve, she is a bit more of a cerebral player, but also likes to carry the puck and get it out of our zone. She too has a good shot. She is a really solid defensive player, positionally. They aren't defence partners, but both play integral roles on two different power play units."

Representing Manitoba at the National Stage

The two recently returned to Manitoba following a week-long trip to Quispamsis, New Brunswick where they represented their province at the 2024 National Women's Under-18 Championship. Despite a disappointing seventh-place finish, the experiences gained certainly trumped the end result.

"As you know, some of the best players in Canada are competing at that tournament," Mauro said of the U18 National Championship. "The feedback I received was that they held their own in there, which is great for rookies. There's a lot to learn when you're playing at the national stage; there's a lot of good hockey players out there. The pace is faster, so the thinking has to be faster. The feedback that I got from different scouts is that they both held their own, which is great, especially for first-year players at that tournament. It's only going to serve them well moving forward."

Mauro, whose playing days date back to the Thorold Blackhawks of the former Golden Horseshoe Junior League, has been around long enough to see the typical development in players who participate in such showcase events.

"Being from Ontario, I've coached some of the players that were in that tournament, and coached against some of those players, so I know just how good they are," he added. "It's like the precursor. I know what the next level is going to be like for them, so this is kind of like university hockey, or maybe even higher than that. It's fast, aggressive and maybe gives them that extra bit of insight into how to be great Team Manitoba players next year."

Neve Cockerill

Stats on the Season

Despite missing time away from their teammates to represent their province, neither player's stat lines took hits during their absence. Cockerill has a goal, nine points and 20 penalty minutes over 18 games this season, while Sobering leads all defenders in the program with six goals and 13 points — including two power play strikes — on the year.

"These are two top-level athletes and they are really helping us and our program here this season," Mauro said of his 6-5-0 club. "Things are really shaping up kind of how we planned it with new players and the team growing and learning how to play at a different level. It's a real tight knit group and they're just getting closer and closer, which is great."

What's Impressed Him Most

And what's impressed him the most thus far?

"It's just simply the girls' development. Even from the start of the season until now," he reflected. "They push each other, which is really great. There is so much learning going on down the path. This group really grasps concepts well and builds upon older strategies very quickly. Their team IQ as a whole is really good. The best part for me? We don't refer to it as winning and losing, but rather winning and learning. There is a lot of questions asked, lots of feedback and time for growth all around. As a group, we are all really happy with where we are headed right now."