Lecavalier included in top 27

Times Reporter   

 

After six days of hockey training camp in Canmore through the August long weekend, Strathmore’s Sarah Lecavalier is one of the 27 girls, cut down from 46, to continue on towards the potential Team Alberta U18 team. Lecavalier, 15, is one of the youngest members of the camp given special permission to try out for the age level above, rather than U16.

“All the older people were really nice. I got one as my roommate,” said Lecavalier. “She made sure I was in the group. It really made me feel like part of the team.”

Her roommate, Hannah Olenyk, had made the team previously, and assisted Sarah in not feeling intimidated – on and off the ice.

“Skill-wise, I thought I was pretty close to them,” Lecavalier said, noting that Karly Heffernan, recently featured on TSN, was at a similar strength to her own.

“I played her a couple times one-on-one and I felt like I could handle her. She’s two years older. It kind of boosted my confidence a bit,” the Strathmore forward said.

Lecavalier injured her kidney during play back in May, but feels as if she’s close to being one hundred per cent healthy.

“When I was at the camp, I had to push it a lot though, because it’s six days of just straight hockey,” she said. “So we would do fitness testing, and I could feel it hurting. The trainer made me sit out only one practice.”

The team would practice in the morning, break for lunch and then have another practice or game in the afternoon. 

“We would always have team activities too,” Lecavalier said, including yoga, handball, and walking to the rink in the morning to bond.

The team will be whittled down to 23 during the U18 tournament to take place in Edmonton from September 27-29. Following that, 20 players will compete at the 2013 National Women’s U18 Championships, from November 6-10 in Calgary.

Sarah’s very hopeful to make that final cut, and has a strong, positive attitude.

“I found it challenging, it’s a really different game,” she said. “But I like it, I like the challenge.”