By Kristi Patton /
After 62 games in the books for this year, if there is one thing the Calgary Flyers know it’s consistency.
And they hope it pays off when it comes to battling the top female Midget teams across the country in Calgary from April 19 to 25 at the inaugural Esso Cup national championship.
“All season, we have had that balance of a consistent contribution by the whole team,” said Flyers head coach Kevin Brost. “We have had a consistently and very strong balance on offense and for us, that really is key. We won’t be looking to just one or two players like some other teams. Our plan is to wear those teams down by working harder consistently across our lineup.”
By following just that plan, the Flyers found themselves earning the right to host the first-ever female Midget national championship after knocking off cross-town rival the Calgary Bruins in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League playoffs. The concept of being the pioneers of female Midget hockey is not lost on the players who will be challenging for the title this month.
This being my last year at the Midget level, I am very grateful to have the opportunity to compete in the first female nationals. I think the female game has grown so much over the past few years, and these nationals will be another huge step forward for the female game,” said Flyers forward Erin Lally.
Coach Brost said he sees this inaugural championship as a way to shine a bright spotlight on the female game.
“The excitement is huge; the girls know this is the biggest thing to happen to Midget female hockey...at the end of the day, the thing we have always asked is for the recognition, visibility and recruitment for these young girls so they can inspire other kids. This will bring us on par with the boys Telus Cup and really brings us credibility,” said Brost, noting that the female level of play has grown at a phenomenal pace.
The Flyers are coming off a tough series against the Edmonton Thunder who took the provincial championship in three straight games in a best-of-five series. The series took a toll on the Flyers players mentally and physically but the couple of weeks rest leading up to the inaugural tournament still leaves them with a fire burning in their bellies. The fact they might even get a second chance at the Thunder helps. The Thunder knocked off the Vancouver Fusion for the right to represent the Pacific region. Brost believes it is not only their provincial counterparts that will be a tough adversary.
“We have seen a lot of the western teams play and they have some of the U18 players which will make them formidable opponents but with Ontario being the hockey hotbed it is, we know that they are also going to be strong. Another team that absolutely dominated their region is the team coming from the Atlantic,” said Brost.
Representing the Atlantic is the Northern Stars (Bathhurst, N.B.); Pacific, Edmonton Thunder; Ontario, Scarborough Sharks; West, Westman WIldcats (Hartney, Man.); and Host, Calgary Flyers.
For more information on the tournament including schedules, visit ?www.hockeycanada.com.
ICE CHIPS
The Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League awards were presented at Game 1 of the league final:
Most Sportsmanlike player, Rhianna Kurio (Calgary Bruins); Coach of the Year, Doug Young (Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs); League Scoring Leader, Brittany Esposito (Edmonton Thunder): League Top Forward, Brittany Styner (Calgary Bruins); League Top Defenceman, Tara Tomimoto (Calgary Bruins); League Top Goaltender, Camille Trautman (Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs); Most Valuable Player, Jenna Klynstra (Edmonton Thunder). |
