Funk making an impact with Raiders

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

Strathmore’s own Natalie Funk is in the midst of her first season of girls’ hockey with the Rocky Mountain Raiders bantam triple-A and is steadily improving her game.
“It’s really good,” said Funk. “I’m improving a lot with my shooting and being smart with the puck. I’ve had to work myself a lot harder because it’s a much higher level than I’ve ever played before.”
The biggest difference she has noticed going from boys hockey in Strathmore to an elite level of girls hockey is the concentration needed as the forwards bear down faster.
She felt the team has met their goals this far into the season, which helped with team bonding.
“We really wanted to come together as a team because lots of us didn’t know each other at the start and I think we’ve done that,” said Funk, a reliable defender. “We always try to win and we want to make it to playoffs and have lots of success.”
Funk added Head Coach Dan Tall’s message, of always giving it a 110 per cent and not giving up no matter what the score is, has added consistency to the team.
The Boston Bruin fan said her most memorable moment this season is when she scored her first goal on Jan. 8 against the Calgary Rangers.
Tall said that Funk, who battles hard, has been a force for the team this season.
“She’s improved enormously since the beginning of the year,” said Tall. “Usually first-year players struggle a little bit, but Natalie hasn’t had a problem adjusting to this level of play.”
He added that there is an advantage crossing over from boys to girls hockey as the players battle for the pucks harder. However their intensity in puck handling becomes a factor.
“That’s something we’ve worked with Natalie on,” said Tall. “She’s getting much better at handling the puck after coming over to the girls game and bringing across the advantages that she did in battling hard and competing. She’s been a great addition for us this season.”
The Raiders sit second in the division, a mere two-points behind the Calgary Rangers.