Sports | DrumhellerMail

Minor hockey back on ice

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   While we have only seen a small skiff of snow, and the crops aren’t in, hockey players are back on the ice.
   The Minor Hockey season for Drumheller begins this weekend with a packed home schedule. While these are the first official games, the teams have been on the ice practicing since mid-September. The coaches and rosters have been selected, all they are waiting for is the puck to drop.
   Drumheller Minor Hockey board member, Jim Eskeland, tells inSide Drumheller, while there have been a small drop in their ranks due to economic conditions and other factors such as conflicting sports, they still have two tykes teams, and three novice teams on the ice, showing a strong future for hockey in the valley.
   There is one atom, and two peewee teams, one bantam and one midget squad.
   For the next month, the league will be a hive of activity as play begins. In mid-November, there will be a league realignment, where teams will be graded and regrouped for parity. During this week, the association will be hosting the John Charmont Memorial Hockey Tournament, one of its flagship events.
   One big change this year, the expansion of the Central Alberta Hockey League (CAHL) taking in approximately 2,500 more players. The league now has membership as far north as Stettler and Rimby.
   Eskeland says this change is so teams will be able to face more and better competition, while at the same time limiting travel in a tough economic time.
   The Drumheller Minor Hockey Association has always been a leader in promoting respect in sports and Eskeland says for the last two years they have implemented a Code of Conduct signed by players and parents. Eskeland says this is a proactive step, not prompted by previous behavior, but recognition that there are passionate players, parents and fans, and this outlines expectations on the ice and in the seats.

Saints top Hawks in league play

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   The St. Anthony’s girls junior varsity volleyball team has had a strong start to the volleyball season, and last week had a strong win over Hanna.
   The Saints hosted the Hawks on Thursday, October 6, and won three straight sets, 25-13, 25-12 and 25-19. Coach David Easter says following game, the team improved to a 1-1 record.
   “The team has improved a great deal from last year. The girls are practicing hard, and applying much of what we practice into game situations,” said coach Easter. “One of the best developments is seeing the team use our three hits most times when the ball comes our way.”
   One of the best aspects of his team he says, are the players’ attitudes.
   “They have become very good at communicating and pumping each other up, which has been very beneficial to our play thus far. It’s a fun group, and no matter the score, they are boosting one another and cheering their teammates on,” he said.
   Moving forward, the team is working on its skills to improve its game.
“There is lots to work on, but the main goal is to grow stronger as a team at dealing with well-struck balls coming our way,” said Easter. “Our girls are getting stronger at digging the ball out, but we need to be able to continue growing at this skill to be successful in future tournaments and games. Hitting is also high on the priority list, as we want to be able to finish off points more quickly and definitively.”
   The Saints are hosting a home tournament on October 21.

Dragons earn two points at weekend home stand, fall to Camrose

   The Drumheller Dragons were able to pick up two of a possible four points when they hosted both Calgary teams at home; one holding strong to the first place spot in the Viterra AJHL south, while one that is still looking to pick up its second win of the season.
   On Friday night the Dragons hosted the Calgary Canucks, who were sporting a 6-3-1 record. The Canucks went up late in the first period. The Dragons outshot the Canucks 14-7 in the second period and answered back 13 minutes in, when Brayden Nicholetts found the goal.
   The Canucks opened the third period with four straight goals in the first 5:36 of the game. Joren Patenaude scored on the power play about nine minutes in, but it was too little too late as the Canucks won 5-2.
   The Dragons were back in action on Saturday night when they took on the Calgary Mustangs. The Dragons outshot the Mustangs 37 to 29 as they cruised to a 6-2 win. Right away, the Dragons jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first period with goals from Evan Rochowiak, Nicholetts, Brett Campbell, Stefan Wood and Brady Risk before the Mustangs found the net.
   The second period was scoreless. Seven minutes into the third period, Risk scored his second of the game. The Mustangs scored at the 12-minute mark, but that was as close as they could get.
   Campbell had three points with a goal and two assists and Dane Dow has his first win in net.

The Drumheller Dragons came out of the gate strong on Tuesday, October 11, but a three-goal flurry by the Camrose Kodiaks in the third period dashed their hopes.

The Dragons were on the road to face the Kodiaks and had the jump off the puck drop.

Just three and half minute in Brady Risk opened the scoring. 10 minutes later, Jordan Taupert scored on the powerplay, and then at the 18-minute mark, Markus Boguslavsky put the Dragons up by three.

The Kodiaks opened the second period with a goal, but the Dragons answered back on the powerplay when Joren Patenaude found the net. The Kodiaks scored one more to end the period with the Dragons leading 4-2.

In the third, the Kodiaks outshot the Dragons 20-2 and went on to score three straight goals to win 5-4.

The Dragons are back on home ice this Saturday night to play the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and then on Sunday afternoon versus the Grand Prairie Storm.

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