Cochrane hockey players got some premier practice time last night with a trio of champions ahead of an upcoming tough tournament.
Cochrane hockey players got some premier practice time last night with a trio of champions ahead of an upcoming tough tournament.
Fresh off a thrilling gold medal win at the prestigious Mac's Midget AAA Invitational Hockey Tournament in Calgary, Rocky Mountain Raiders' goaltender Stephanie Gross - along with forwards Kara Kondrat and Megan Campbell - took to the ice at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre yesterday evening to help out the Cochrane Rockies Pee Wee team.
The peewee girls are preparing for this weekend's Cochrane Minor Hockey Association female tournament, which will draw as many as 200 peewee, bantam and midget players from around Alberta over three days.
Coach Lorne Bremner said the encouragement his team received from players like Gross, Kondrat and Campbell is unlike any he can provide.
“Any girls that can come out that can … run drills with them and just talk to them - it's a completely different thing than with a guy coach. And I say that as a guy coach - it's just different, ” said Bremner. “When they see girls that can play high level … they hang on every word. It really makes the difference. ”
On New Year's Day, the Rocky Mountain Raiders eked out a 5-4 win in a sensational overtime battle against the Saskatoon Stars in the Mac's Midget final game at Scotiabank Saddledome. The Raiders beat nine other teams from across Canada and the United States to earn top spot at the well-respected hockey tournament.
From tomorrow until Sunday at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre, Cochrane teams will take on hockey squads from Fort Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Brooks, Sherwood Park, Okotoks and Airdrie. Bremner said the competition will be fierce.
“It's going to be a tough tournament for us, ” he said.
As an added challenge, Cochrane will go head-to-head against a few teams they aren't familiar with, said female director Debbie Novello.
“We tried to get teams from out of our zone so girls play teams they don't play all season long, ” she said.
The Junior A Cochrane Chaos team will also make an appearance, and Novello said she's excited to show younger players there is life in the sport beyond the minor level.
“It (shows) them there's more options - it gives them incentive that there is a higher level to play after minor hockey. ”
The tournament's first game is on Friday morning at 11:15 a.m., when the Cochrane Rockies midget team faces Calgary at the Cochrane Arena. For a full schedule of games, go to cochraneminorhockey.com.
