By Kristi Patton /
There is perhaps nothing more that could ignite a fire under a Midget team than knowing they have been invited to the prestigious Mac’s Midget Tournament.
Well, at least that is what PWM Lloydminster Steelers head coach Kim Wright is hoping for. Judging from the response of his team, he just might be right.
“Yeah, you could say they were a little excited. They were all on their cell phones with each other and before you knew it, I only really got to break the news to one player because they had already all heard about it,” said Wright of his Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League squad. “This is really good news for us and I hope the girls respond to it.”
So far this season, the team hasn’t quite achieved what they were expecting. At the beginning of December, the team is 9-7-4, floating around the middle of the North Division. The news of the Mac’s Tournament combined with an upcoming trip to Wilcox, Sask. to the Notre Dame tournament will surely bring a hop back into the Steelers step.
“We have been wondering if they needed a little bit of a jump. ‘Too comfortable’ are words we have used non-stop this year and hopefully this will spark some intensity,” said Wright.
Because it’s not that the talent isn’t there.
Steelers Captain Danielle Brown (Cold Lake, Alta.) is a third-year player with the team who was chosen to play on the Alberta Under-18 team that represented the province at the national championships held in Surrey, B.C. this past November.
“She is a solid defencemen and one of the best leaders I have seen. The ‘C’ was given to her for a reason; everyone respects her and as a coach I am appreciative to have her on the team because quite often we don’t have to say anything to the girls because she has already stepped in to voice it,” said Wright.
The Steelers also boast a talented forward in Jennifer Moe (Bonnyville, Alta.), who is tied for team scoring with Kandace Cook (Lloydminster) coming into December with 17 points each.
“Jennifer is a strong player and her hockey skills in the last two years have definitely improved. Her speed is unreal and she leads the team with her intensity. I wish the rest of the girls would match her hockey skills,” said Wright.
If two upcoming big tournaments aren’t enough to charge the Steelers, they also have the AMMFHL all-star game to look forward to. The team was chosen to host this year’s two-day event held Jan. 2 and 3, which includes a skills competition and all-star game. The organizing committee is still in the final planning stages for the event, including waiting for confirmation of some high-profile speakers from the hockey world.
“Ultimately, what we are trying to do is make it an experience that the girls attending will remember forever,” said Lorne Moe, one of the organizers of the event, adding that the players selected to the all-star game should be announced by mid-December. |