Two area female hockey players will be on the provincial stage at Hockey Alberta’s ATB Challenge Cup.
The ATB Challenge Cup brings together the top bantam aged players in a provincial showdown with three teams from the North and three teams from the South. The tournament is May 2-5 in Medicine Hat.
Drumheller hockey player Kierra Scollo, daughter of Rhonda and Carmelo, was selected for the South Flyers and Erica Nelson, daughter of Rod and Danna Nelson of Rumsey was selected for the South Coyotes.
The tryouts were in Carstairs April 4-6, and the players learned of their selection this week.
Kierra, 14, is a student at St. Anthony’s School and played her Atom, Peewee and one year of Bantam hockey with Drumheller Miner Hockey’s co-ed teams. She then headed to play for the Strathmore Storm Bantam Female T1 team in the Rocky Mountain Female Hockey League. She has excelled and in her first year, she was named captain.
Kierra Scollo has been chosen to play for the South Flyers in the ATB Challenge Cup in Medicine Hat.
“It’s awesome,” said Keirra’s mother Rhonda, adding the tournament is a stepping stone to higher levels of hockey and is an opportunity for scouts to assess players.
“There is going to be more and more opportunities coming out of this,” said Rhonda.
While Keirra has gone south to play hockey, Erica has headed north.
Erica, 14, began her hockey career in Morrin when she was 4. She played up to her first year of atom in Morrin, before playing in Drumheller for one season. She played female peewee hockey in Olds, and for the last two seasons played for the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs Bantam AAA Female team.
Erica Nelson of Rumsey has been selected to play for the South Coyotes in Hockey Alberta’s ATB Challenge Cup.
“It has been an honor to be selected for the ATB Alberta Challenge Cup. There were 120 girls trying out for three teams. I am looking forward to meeting my new teammates and coaches,” said Erica.
Hockey Alberta’s U16 Female Program coordinator, Grant Glowinski says the ATB Alberta Challenge has gone through some changes in 2013.
“The biggest change is the drafting of the six teams from two large Regional Selection Camps, three from the south and three from the north,” said Glowinski. “It promises to bring a whole new level of competition and excitement - something we are all looking forward to.”
According to a release, the ATB Alberta Challenge Program begins in April every other year with players trying out at the regional selection camps. Each of the 120 athletes playing in the ATB Alberta Challenge is competing for one of 60 invites to the U16 Female Provincial Camp. The U16 Female Provincial Camp is the final stage in the first year of the Team Alberta Program.
