Sports | DrumhellerMail

Baxandall commits to University of Massachusetts Amherst

    Another Drumheller Dragon is off to an NCAA Division 1 school.
   The team announced on Tuesday that Brennan Baxandall has committed to the University of Massachusetts Amherst for the 2013-14 season.
   “I wish Brennan all the success possible,” said Dragons head coach Brian Curran. “To watch his growth as a player and also as a leader was a pleasure. I believe he will be an outstanding collegiate player and with his potential and growth curve who knows where he might end up.”
   Baxandall, the 20 year old defenseman from Calgary, has played three seasons with the Dragons and was captain in his final season. In 49 games he tallied 11 goals and 23 assists for a total of 34 points and 131 penalty minutes.
   In his career as a Dragon, Brennan has 159 games played, with 21 goals, 48 assists for a total of 69 points and 350 penalty minutes.
   “I am thrilled to be joining the UMass Amherst Minutemen next season making the jump to the next level and beginning school,” said Baxandall. I would like to thank my family, friends and teammates for believing in me and helping get me here. I would also like to thank the Drumheller Dragons organization for a great three years and all of my coaches for helping me develop. Thanks again to my outstanding billets and the fans in the town.”
   The Dragons organization would like to congratulate Brennan and his family and wish him all the best in his future athletic and academic endeavours.

Canadian baseball pro to teach Drumheller players

    Children throughout the Valley are stepping up to the plate for another exciting season of the quintessential summer pastime; minor baseball.
   To help kids prepare, the Drumheller Minor Baseball Association is bringing in professional player Geoff Freeborn for a baseball camp.
   “He came up with the idea of smaller communities doing these camps, so he’s coming out here for the very first one,” said Lyle Cawiezel, president of Drumheller Minor Baseball.
   Freeborn was a pitcher for the Canadian Junior national team in 1999 and Team Canada in the 2011 World Baseball Challenge. Freeborn also played with Britain several times in European Championships.
   He will be joined by other professional players Tony Wyllie, Ryan Kennedy, and Garrett Regan.
   The camp is scheduled for May 11 at the Newcastle Ball Diamonds.
   So far this year, the baseball association is looking at two teams. Registration was good, with a tee ball team and rookie team both filled.
   This year also marks a change of direction for Drumheller Minor Baseball. At their most recent annual general meeting, which was held in March, a brand new board was elected.
   “Hopefully we can continue on and make a go of it,” said Cawiezel.
   For more information about minor baseball or the baseball camp, those interested are encouraged to contact Cawiezel at 403-823-9487.

Local players selected for ATB Challenge Cup

    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.

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