By Rod Kelly /
Turning an average start into a powerful finish is what propelled the Grande Prairie Bantam A Rona Rebels to top spot in a recent Bantam A tournament clash in Camrose.
In one of many winter tournaments in the hockey-active Rose City, the Rebels from northwestern Alberta showed they had something to prove in outlasting a list of contending teams that included lineups from Okotoks, Boyle, Cremona, Leduc, Fort Saskatchewan, Whitehorse and the host Camrose Warriors.
The three days of tournament action Jan. 29, 30 and 31 ended with a 7-1 final-game victory for Grande Prairie over Whitehorse.
The final-game triumph gave Grande Prairie the title — and bragging rights — after the champs had opened the tournament with two consecutive ties in round-robin play, to Leduce and Cremona.
From there, the Rebels turned up the jets, advancing to the final with a big win over Fort Saskatchewan in the semifinal and then skating past Whitehorse in the final.
Camrose Warriors team manager Brian McEachern said the quality of competition among the eight participating teams was entertaining throughout the 2010 event.
“There were five ties in the first 11 games,” McEachern said of this year’s Bantam Classic.
“I think that speaks a lot to how evenly matched the teams were. We really looked into the teams that applied to play,” McEachern said.
“We looked at how they were doing in their own divisions, in tournaments, and in other exhibition games not only to get a good mix of teams, but also to get teams we thought would stack up well together.“
In the end, it was the strong play of the GP Rebels, led by the goal scoring of Riley Cook, Kevin Henley, Jesse Carroll, Kelsey Baumann and Callum Henry that proved to be the difference in this year’s tournament final.
McEachern said modern hockey facilities in Camrose, combined with the popularity of the city’s Junior A Kodiaks, who currently sit first in the AJHL’s South Division, help with promoting minor hockey in Camrose.
“Camrose is very much a hockey town,“ McEachern said. |
