Sports | DrumhellerMail

Bantam Raptors win second at home tournament

    On January 7 and 8, the Drumheller Minor Hockey Association hosted a bantam level tournament in the Drumheller Memorial Arena. The Boston Pizza/Western Chevrolet Raptors finished the tournament in second place.
   The tournament attracted five other teams from Calgary, Irvine, Red Deer, Rocky Mountain House, and Wainright.
   The Raptors worked hard throughout the tournament and after the round robin, faced the Rocky Mountain House Blades in the semi finals. The Raptors prevailed and headed to the finals to face the Irvine Bulldogs.
   The final game was an intense affair. Both teams gave it their all, but the Bulldogs defeated the Raptors, winning 5-3.
   “The Raptors played well all weekend and had great sportsmanship. The final game was exciting and played very well by both teams. A very good response was received from all who were in the tournament and the teams said they look forward to returning for another year,” said Lorna Hodge, assistant manager of the Bantam Raptors.
   Hodge went on to express her gratitude to all of the businesses who donated to the raffle table and to the volunteers who helped make the tournament a success.

Girls Dynos hold their own in tournament

    The Drumheller Valley Secondary School Girls Dynos were at full strength on January 14 and 15 for a tournament in Chestermere. Sickness and injuries held them back in their previous tournament. The Dynos faced some stiff competition and left with a 1-2 record.
   “We almost had two lines, which makes a huge difference,” said head coach Ryan Hatch. “It wasn’t just five so the girls weren’t as tired.”
   The Dynos first game in the tournament was against the host team Chestermere Lakers, one of the toughest teams around.
   The Dynos held their own for quite awhile, but things pulled away from them later in the game and the Dynos lost.
   The Dynos then faced the girls team from Cochrane High School. The Dynos rallied and came through with a win.
   “We had a really good game. The girls played well defensively and offensively. It was our largest offensive output of the year,” said Hatch.
   The win sent the Dynos to the consolation, but they lost to a squad from Calgary.
   “The girls played well, it was a sign that the girls have a lot of potential, but we also have work to do as well,” said Hatch. “This is a really good group of girls, they get along and spend time together, so it’s always fun. They’re positive win or lose.”
   On Monday, January 16, the Dynos braved the cold and travelled to Three Hills for some league action.
   Fatigue and no time to prepare caused the Dynos to struggle offensively and as a consequence lose to the Three Hills team.
   “The girls knew it wasn’t their best game and they’re excited to face them again, because we can match them,” said Hatch.
   The Dynos will be taking a break from basketball next week, although final exams will test them mentally. The Dynos will be back on the court on Monday, January 30, in Acme, and at home at DVSS on February 1 against Trochu.

Ringers qualify for Alberta Games

    The Rockyford Ringers will be on their way to the Alberta Games this season and are hoping for a good showing.
   The U16 ringette team qualified represent Zone 2 at the games from February 9-12.
   The team beat out Strathmore for the chance at the games.
   Coach Warren Kalbhen says the team has been playing well this season and over the weekend were in Medicine Hat to play in a tournament.
   “Every game was a one-goal game, one way or another, so we are pretty competitive with Edmonton and Medicine Hat,” said Kalbhen, who has two daughters playing on the squad. “They are the two top teams.”
   This is not the first time the Ringers have gone to the Alberta Games. One of Kalbhen’s daughters played on the squad at the last games.
   The Alberta Winter Games have been running since 1974 and are held every two years. Organizers are expecting more than 2,800 athletes, coaches and officials at this year’s games, representing eight zones of the province.
   This year there are 23 participating sports at the games co-hosted by Spruce Grove, Parkland County and Stony Plain. Ringette will be played at the TransAlta TriLeisure Centre in Spruce Grove.
   More information is available at 2012awg.ca.

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