N.S. athletes help take home a silver medal from World Ringette Championships

NORTH SMITHFIELD – They took their newly-learned skills of a game similar to ice hockey all the way to Finland – and returned with a silver medal for their efforts.

Two athletes from North Smithfield were among the players on Team USA at the World Ringette Championships this month, at a tournament that ended in an overtime loss to Sweden. Megan Auger and Kelsey Pepler of North Smithfield, along with a third Rhode Island player, 16-year-old Lauren Bastien of Warwick, played in the international event – at which the American team nearly took home a gold in the sport.

A Canadian game similar to hockey only played with a straight-tipped stick and a rubber ring, ringette emphasizes teamwork and passing over physical contact. The sport is growing in reportedly popularity in the U.S., but is far more predominant in countries including Finland and Sweden, with seven countries sending teams to the world games.

The Rhode Island athletes were exposed to ringette through The Valkyrie Initiative, a nonprofit focused on education and advocacy around women’s hockey, which offers camps and clinics. The nonprofit was based in North Smithfield through its first year with events at at Rhode Island Sports Center on Route 146 before moving to Cranston in 2024.

Last summer, the initiative teamed up with Team USA Ringette to offer a clinic where the hockey enthusiasts learned the lesser known sport, and the two organizations hosted a free learn to play event this year. At that clinic, Team USA held a tryout for eligible players, and Auger, Pepler and Bastien earned spots in the world games.

A GoFundMe campaign in September helped to finance their travel and accommodations.

Pepler was a player on North Smithfield High School’s inaugural girls’ hockey team in 2002. The now 37-year-old works as a full time assistant coach for the Cranston High School Thunderbirds girls hockey team and played forward at the international tournament, wearing jersey #8 on Team USA.

Auger has been playing hockey since she was five and currently competes in men’s leagues while pursuing a degree in physical education. In Finland, the 35-year-old wore jersey #6, playing defense and center.

The women played Team Czechia in the second to last game on Saturday, Nov. 8.

“With limited recovery time after their previous evening’s match, the American team faced a quick turnaround,” noted an article on the game on the World Ringette website.

Team USA closed it out with an 8-5 win, moving on to the President’s Pool final against Sweden on Sunday.

“The final between Sweden and the USA was a fast-paced, skillful, and thrilling battle that kept the crowd on the edge of their seats until Kajsa Frankenberg’s overtime goal sealed the title for Sweden,” noted World Ringette’s coverage of the event.

Sweden ultimately won an 8–7 victory and the championship title, leaving the Americans with a silver medal – an impressive showing for the young team.

Valkyrie Initiative co-founder Crystal Verrier said she’s filled with pride for the three Rhode Island athletes.

“They are paving the way to get ringette on the map in the smallest state,” Verrier told NRI NOW. “They are the foundation. You will hear more about ringette in the coming months or years because of them.”