St. Albert Tier 1 Under 15 (U15) hockey team, the Spartans, emerged victorious at a Lethbridge hockey tournament last weekend.
They went up against teams from Lethbridge, Calgary, Cranbrook and Medicine Hat in the weekend-long, five-game tournament.
“We’ve got a great team of young men,” said coach Paul Crane. “They really gelled during this tournament … They really enjoyed it, and from a hockey perspective, they definitely grew as hockey players.”
When the Spartans arrived on Friday night, they faced off against the Lethbridge team.
“The game was tied at the end of regulation,” Crane said. “The extra point went to Lethbridge in a shootout that went six shooter deep. The boys outplayed Lethbridge, but we came up just a bit short.”
On Saturday the Spartans played against Calgary’s Bow Valley Flames, a top team in Calgary’s minor hockey league.
“The Spartans dominated the majority of play through three periods with their fast and physical play,” Crane said.
Unfortunately, the Bow Valley Flames won 4-1. “This was an amazing game that we deserved to win — sometimes the scoreboard does not reflect the game,” Crane said.
Things turned around for the team in their third, must-win game against the Cranbrook team.
The Spartans were down 3-0 with five minutes left in the second period when, racing down the clock, they scored five goals and went on to win the game 5-3.
On Sunday morning they beat the Medicine Hat team 4-1, which led to a Sunday night rematch against Calgary’s formidable Bow Valley Flames.
But the Calgary team was no match, Crane said.
“The Spartans were physically dominant and in better condition due to the team’s dedication to dryland training,” he said.
The Spartans won the final 3-1.
Crane said that the tournament win bodes well for the team’s ambitions to play in the provincials this year.
“The tournament was more competitive than most of the teams we see [in league],” he said. “It really elevated the whole team’s play.”
It’s also the first year that some of the players have experienced contact hockey, and the tournament helped them overcome fears of getting hit, according to Crane.
On Dec. 18 the team will play fellow St. Albert U15 team the St. Albert Aces to raise funds for the food bank.
They’re asking attendees to bring food donations for the game.
“I’m most proud of this team’s behaviour,” Crane said. “Great team culture, great group of kids to be around. It’s so good to see how inclusive they are, how they support each other and how fun they make it.”
