After a nine-year career with the SAIT Trojans Women’s program and a lifetime of volleyball, Art O’Dwyer is retiring from coaching the sport he loves.
    O’Dwyer wrapped up his coaching career last weekend versus the Lethbridge  Kodiaks. In his nine seasons, his teams have made the playoffs five times. He was named the ACAC South Division Coach of the Year in 2015-2016, and in his next season, the Trojans went 18-6,  a record for wins.
    “It’s a little bittersweet, it brings back a lot of memories, so yeah, it’s a little bit tough,” he said of his final weekend on the bench. “On the other side of it, I am leaving on good terms and there is a time for everything.”
    His volleyball pedigree goes back decades to playing high school and club volleyball in Drumheller.  He was part of a powerhouse program in the valley that includes names such as Derek Wade, Glen Farmer, Kelly Colberg, Bob Rosgen, and Tony Rosgen.
    “Often you run into mentors, people who tell you that you can do something and then provide the opportunity to do something. That for me was Howard Rasmussen and Ian Jones. They were the two people that started that whole thing for me,” he said. “I played a lot of sports, but volleyball was one that gave me some opportunity.”
    He went on to captain the University of Calgary Dinos and played on the junior national team. He went to work as an assistant coach for the Dinos on a couple of occasions before joining up with the Trojans for the 2011-2012 season.
    After such a long career being involved in the sport, it is going to be an adjustment to walk away.
    “I am going to take a little bit of time, but I will always be involved in some way or form,” he said. “I’m just trying to limit the amount of time coaching. At the ACAC level is a pretty big time commitment.”
    A rewarding part for coaching for him is to slip into the same role that his mentors did for him.
    “That is a big thing, I don’t know if it is conscious or not, but when somebody else has put in the time and showed you the passion for the sport, it kind of makes you want to do the same for someone else, that never seems to go away,” he said. I think that is part of being passionate about the sport, you naturally promote the sport because you love it and you want other people to get some of the joy you get out of it.”

    The Drumheller Dragons are hitting their stride as the season closes in, notching 9 straight wins.
    There are three more regular-season games for the Dragons, but they seem to be building momentum for the postseason. This comes after a great week with the Dragons adding three more wins to their streak.
    On Friday night, February 14, the Dragons hosted the Canmore Eagles in front of 844 fans.
    The Dragons jumped out to a two-goal lead thanks to Kaden Hanas and Scout Truman. The Eagles were able to claw their way back and ended the first period tied at 2.
    In the second, Myles Hilman put the Dragons up, but the Eagles answered back. Defenseman Kent Anderson scored his fourth as a Dragon to put them  up 4-3.
    In the third period  Brady Risk scored two goals, both on the powerplay, to put the Dragons up for good. The Eagles added one more but, the Dragons went on to a 6-4 win.
     On Saturday, February 15, the Dragons were on the road to take on the Okotoks Oilers, who are ranked number one in the AJHL Viterra South. The Dragons again opened the scoring with Risk putting the Dragons up 1-0 after one period. Kobe Mohr and  Petyon McKenzie each scored in the second period to put the Dragons up 3-0. The Oilers added one in the third period, but that was as close as they could get, as the Dragons won 3-1.
     The Dragons were back on the road on Family Day, Monday, February 17 to take on the  Canmore Eagles in a matinee. The Eagles got on the scoreboard less than two minutes into the game, but the Dragons peppered the net as Risk, McKenzie, and Carter Belitski scored, ending the second up 3-1.
    Canmore scored on the powerplay 16 minutes into the third period, but less than a minute and a half later Shane Ott answered back.  Truman capped the game off with one more in the third as the Dragons won 5-2.
    This Saturday, February 22, the  Dragons are in Olds but return home Saturday night to battle the Okotoks Oilers. They wrap up the regular season on Wednesday, February 26 as they take on the Brooks Bandits on the road.