Raiders staying sharp heading into Westerns

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

The Rocky Mountain Raiders, featuring local players Ethan Rycroft and Mitch Desserre, haven’t hit the ice in over a month after getting knocked out of the second round of the playoffs by the highly-touted Lethbridge Val Matteoti Golden Hawks.
However, head coach Mickey Kluner hasn’t let the boys off the hook over the last three weeks, he’s been putting the team through their paces in preparation to host the Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship in Okotoks next week.
“Since then it’s been reinforcing all of our systems and focus points that we’re going to need in Westerns,” said Kluner. “The biggest thing is given what we’re going to be up against, which is going to be Provincial Champions for their respective provinces. Those teams will have been still playing all way through. Compete and battle are our biggest thing right now because we need to be able to, overnight, raise our level, having a month off, to what the level of all these championship teams are playing at.”
The team only has one returning player, Peyton Krebs, from last year’s second place finish at Westerns in Winnipeg and Kluner expects the former championship MVP to bring his experience to the table come tournament time.
He added that every year, teams have all new kids, which will be a whole new experience for them playing at that high level.
“I don’t think our team is at any disadvantage not having players play at that because most teams are in the same boat,” said Kluner. “There’s going to be good hometown crowds and that’s awesome. I think if nothing else that’s going to raise the adrenaline and get them excited. These kids have risen to the challenge all year and I don’t think jitters are going to be a concern.”
For local defenseman Mitch Desserre, nutrition and sleeping well has been important for him to stay motivated on this lengthy layoff from competition, while he said practice has been high paced and it’ll be vital for his team to make its presence felt early in the tournament.
“It’ll be huge just to set the tempo to keep going on,” said Desserre. “I think we just have to block everybody out and just worry on the game. I have to be really physical, block shots, jump up in the play and get as much opportunity as I can.”
The Westerns will take place from March 31 to April 3 at the Pason Centennial Arena in Okotoks.
More information on schedules and teams can be found on their website (http://okotoksbantamchampionship2016.ramp190.com).