Rockyford owns provincial podium

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

It was a winning weekend in Rockyford for Open C provincial ringette championships.
The host Rockyford Rush brought home the gold medal and provincial title, while the Rockyford Ringers snagged the bronze.
The Rush thumped the Calgary Storm 9-3 in the gold medal match.
“We were really prepared this year. We haven’t won provincials in a couple of years, so it felt nice to be back on top,” said Mallory Nelson, who finished her fourth season with the Rush.
The Rush dropped their opening game 7-6 to the Sherwood Park Double-Eh March 24, but ran the table all the way to the final, with a 5-2 win over Beaumont and a 9-2 victory against the Craze.
The round robin resulted in a three-way tie for first, so a 10-minute mini game took place where the Rush edged the Double-Eh 3-1, to take first place in the pool.
In the other pool, the Ringers were cruising along until they met their fellow Rockyford residents in the semifinals. The Rush slid past the Ringers 4-1.
In the bronze medal game, the Ringers downed the Double-Eh 9-2.
“The coolest part of this weekend was seeing that Rockyford was able to produce two adult teams for provincials. And then to have them both win, was extra special,” said Jill Kathol, a player on the Ringers.
The Ringers rolled through the round robin with a 9-3 win over Cochrarne, 7-4 victory against the Lacombe Kaos, and were clipped by the South Calgary Storm 3-2.
After the Ringers won their bronze, they sat in the stands and cheered on the Rush to gold. Following the medal ceremony, both ringette teams celebrated outside with a bon fire, toasting the weekend’s success.
The strong showing by the Rockyford clubs shouldn’t come as a surprise.
This season, playing in the Calgary Open Ringette Association, the Rush finished first and captured the CORA Calgary Classic tournament back in January. The Ringers played second fiddle all season, finishing second in league standings and second in the CORA Classic.
“It was nice to see both teams have success this weekend. For a lot of us, we have grown up around the Rockyford area together, so it was good to see everyone on top this weekend. We have a very talented group of girls here,” said Nelson.