The St. Albert Skyhawks sent a strong message Wednesday that they are the real deal again in high school women’s basketball.
The 2012 metro Edmonton premier conference champions and 3A provincial gold medallists tipped off league play with a lopsided 66-37 decision against the rival O’Leary Spartans at the SkyDome.
“It was pretty important to make a statement about what we’re doing and what we’re coming out as. We’re here to play and we’re not here for fun. We’re going to take it all the way,” said Kayla Ivicak, a tenacious Grade 11 winger who led all players with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Last season the Skyhawks won their second premier title in three years with an undefeated record, en route to a 34-6 overall finish and historic third-straight provincial crown.
“We’re going to strive for premier and provincials again. It’s no different than last year,” Ivicak said.
The tradition of excellence at St. Albert Catholic High School includes eight consecutive trips to provincials and six straight Edmonton zone titles.
“For us veterans, and especially the Grade 12s, we want to keep it going. There is a bull’s-eye on our backs for sure, but we’ve just got to push through that in order for us to be successful,” Ivicak said.
The Skyhawks are younger and taller, but just as skilled as last season.
“We’re still going to be putting in the intensity and hustle and heart and that will win us games,” Ivicak said.
The season opener against the perennially tough 4A Spartans was over after the first quarter with the Skyhawks in command at 23-5. Three-pointers by Paige Knull and Amy Mildenberger and three field goals by Marinya Marcichiw spearheaded the attack. Knull finished the game with 10 points.
“We played really good in the first quarter. We were really intense and fast. We got lots of fastbreaks, two on ones or three on twos, but after we got up by a lot we all kind of got cocky. We took it easy a bit and lowered our intensity, but after that our coaches helped us at halftime and we got back into it,” said Mildenberger, a Grade 11 forward who recorded 11 points and nine rebounds in the win.
After dominating the opening 10 minutes, the Skyhawks outscored the Spartans only by 11-9 to lead by 20 at halftime.
“We did come out strong but we were a little inconsistent in the second quarter. We didn’t go as hard and we started to take the pressure off,” Ivicak said. “We need to keep the pressure up every time and keep playing our game throughout the whole game.”
The Skyhawks rebounded to lead 53-27 after three quarters.
“Overall we had a pretty good game,” Ivicak said. “We did have peaks and valleys and we all took our turns messing up but everyone makes mistakes.”
The victory marked the home debut for seven new Skyhawks, including five Grade 10 players.
“During the pre-game talk we were all pretty nervous but I think that kind of helped us because we played a really good first game together,” Mildenberger said.
The victory proved last weekend’s tournament triumph at the 25th annual SAIT Silver Belle in Calgary was no fluke. The Skyhawks beat a trio of 4A Calgary teams by scores of 68-17 against the Bishop Grandin Ghosts, 71-37 against the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs and 61-33 against the E.P. Scarlett Lancers in the final.
“It was our first tournament, and a pretty big one too, and we actually played really well considering we’re so young,” Mildenberger said.
Ivicak was also surprised by the result.
“I didn’t think we would come out as well as we did, considering it’s a new team but we played our game and we gelled actually well together. It was a good team bonding experience,” said the one of only three returning Skyhawks on the 10-player roster
Ivicak, 16, described the tournament as a confidence booster for the newcomers.
“Since half the team is new it helps their confidence, especially the Grade 10s. They know they’re doing well and they’re part of the team,” said the player of the game against the Ghosts with 24 points.
Mildenberger, 15, is a fresh face the Skyhawks are counting on for quality minutes as a starter. She joined the Skyhawks after leading the junior team to the first premier women’s championship in school history.
“Obviously it’s harder but I like it because it’s more intense and more faster than last year,” said the five-foot-10 Skyhawk, an injury replacement on the senior team late in the season. “Last year you thought you did everything right because you were one of the better players but this year you’re kind of like an underdog on the team. You always get told that you’re doing things wrong so that’s something that I have to get used to.”
FREE THROWS: The Skyhawks are in tournament action this weekend in Camrose.
The next league game is Monday against the Bev Facey Falcons at 6:15 p.m. at the SkyDome.
The Skyhawks men’s team lost Wednesday’s premier home opener to the St. Francis Xavier Rams 83-45. The Skyhawks hung tough until one of the top 4A teams in the province broke it open halfway through the second quarter. Roberto Sanchez-Enkerlin led the Skyhawks in scoring with 11 and Cam Vilcsak added nine.
Monday the Skyhawks host Bev Facey at 4:45 p.m.
