Winning effort

Times Reporter   

 

Strathmore Minor Ringette hosted U14 Provincials at the Family Centre from March 14-16, with the hometown girls giving their best effort. They placed eighth at the tourna=ment, and gained much needed experience.

“We played hard,” said Sonny Warrack, tournament chair and goalie coach for the U14 squad. “Though the wins weren’t there, the effort was.”

The U14 Strathmore Ice lost to Red Deer on March 14 by a score of 7-1, and fell in overtime to Calgary East the next day, 5-4.

“That was a tough one to take. We were leading most of the game,” Warrack said.

Later that afternoon, fighting fatigue, the Ice took on Spruce Grove.

“They were the highlight for our team,” Warrack said of Spruce Grove, who went on to win bronze. “I thought there was a very good possibility we could have won that game.”

Though the score was 2-1 for the majority of the game, with Strathmore continuously pressing, Spruce Grove pulled away in the last few minutes, and won 3-1.

The Ice then played two consolation games on March 16, losing to Medicine Hat and Calgary North.

“We had played that team several times in the season and almost beaten them before,” Warrack said of Calgary North. “We just had a bad game against them.”

The U7, U9, and U10 girls traveled to Rockyford for year-end wind-up bashes for exhibition games, while the 110 girls who played in the provincials tournament partook in a skills competition on March 14.

“It was a really positive atmosphere. The girls had a riot out there,” Warrack said.

Strathmore Minor Ringette has already received thank you letters from all over the province from teams for their experience.

“We did a very good job representing our town overall, as an association. Also, our head organization, Ringette Alberta, complimented us with most people indicating it was the best provincials they’ve ever attended,” Warrack said. “So we’re really happy about that.”

Warrack especially wanted to thank all their sponsors and volunteers for their hardwork and dedication.

“We’re thrilled about the involvement of our association members. We need over 100 shifts filled and we did it,” he said. “It was just a positive weekend for our association. We hope that businesses around the town felt positive effects from it as well.”