If you want to know what a big sports town Cochrane is, you only have to look at the number of tournaments held here every year.
You can add one more to the ever-expanding list now, as the Big Country Zone Two Ringette Association is set to host the first Rusty Ring AA tournament in Cochrane, Sept. 23 to 25.
“This is the first year we’ve done it and it’s going to be exciting,” said volunteer Jill Sobocan.
The tournament kicks off the 2016 season, and will see under-14 AA and under-16 AA girls teams from across the province descend on Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre for a chance at writing their names in the history books.
“This is the highest level of ringette girls in these age groups can play,” Sobocan said. “So far, we’re planning on having six teams in each category.”
Zone Two AA consists of the Cochrane Rockies, the Hussar Fireworks, the Strathmore Ice, the Indus Lightning, and the Airdrie Sting ringette clubs, but Sobocan expects teams from other zones to show up.
“We’re expecting teams from St. Albert, Sherwood Park and Edmonton as well as Zone 5,” she said. “It’s going to be unique as well since we’re doing a skills competition between all of the teams.
“If you come out you’ll see some of the best ringette players in Alberta.”
Sobocan also hopes the first edition of the event is successful enough to warrant repeats in the coming years.
“We absolutely hope this isn’t going to be the only one,” she said. “We’d love to be able to host this every year and fortunately we were lucky enough to book sufficient ice time during a very busy month.
“We’re trying to promote the sport and the fact we have all these communities who’ve come together and combined so the kids have a place to play is great.”
For more information on the tournament, contact chairperson Tanya Ferguson at www.zone2aatourney.gmail.com.
