Sports | DrumhellerMail

Dragons, Bandits meet in South final showdown

The Dragons receive a standing ovation after defeating the Canmore Eagles last Friday night to win the series. This Friday the Dragons are in Brooks for Game One of Round 3 of the playoffs.

The Dragons are in the hunt for the AJHL Southern Division championship, going up against the Brooks Bandits.
   The AJHL has released the playoff schedule and this Friday the Drumheller Dragons will be at the Central Regional Arena to kick off game one of the series in Brooks.
   This follows a winding road through the post season, which included knocking off the Calgary Mustangs, and then last Friday finishing off the Canmore Eagles in five games in front of more than 1,200 local fans.
   “I liked how we played in the series against the Mustangs, I think It was more of our game. I give Canmore credit, they played extremely hard, they are coached well, their organization as a whole is strong, they had a great season,” said Coach Brian Curran. “We knew it was going to be very tough against them.”
   For all the troubles the Dragons have had with penalties, it was their powerplay, which was firing last Friday night in Game 5. Christopher Rauckman scored at the 9:44 mark, on the powerplay to put the Dragons up 1-nil in the first period.
   Trent Ouellette was able to find the net short-handed seven minutes into the second period, however Canmore did not lie down and scored 30 seconds later. Less than two minutes later, they tied the game.
                        With just five minutes left in the second period Ethan James put the Dragons up for good on the power play. In the third period, Hunter Mills scored and then Colton Vannucci, on the powerplay gave the dragons a little more insurance. Final score, 5-2.
   Curran gives Canmore credit.
   “A the end of the day I think our downfall was we took so many penalties and Canmore capitalizes a lot more on their powerplay, they have some great players. Our goaltending and penalty kill did a great job, but that could have been the difference in that series,” said Curran.
   With playoffs, it never gets easier, and Brooks this season have proven to be a force. While the Bandits only had nine more points over the season The Dragon were 1-4 head to head.
   “We know our hands are full with Brooks, that will be an interesting series for sure,” said Curran.
   “I think if both teams played their best hockey, and that is what we hope for, it is going to be a great series. We certainly have to play the game we are capable of playing. Quite frankly, I don’t think we have played our best hockey against them, and that has a lot to do with them. There are certain things we have to be better at.”
One of the things they need to do is keep it clean.
   “We cannot afford to do what we did in the last two series and be in the penalty box as much as we have been. Brooks will destroy us. They have too many good players, their systems are very good. Their execution is on, they are just a good hockey club,” said Curran. “We have got to be a lot more intelligent against them and bury the ‘we’re the toughest kid on the block attitude,’ and just play.”
   The series starts this Friday night in Brooks and continues Saturday night. On Monday, evening the Dragons will be home to host the Bandits in Game 3.
   “I think if they play their best hockey and we play our best hockey, the fans and everyone are going to be in for a great series to watch,” said Curran.

Gold for Morrin Junior Varsity basketball team

Pictured left to right: Coach Christine DeMille, Kyra Koustrup, Caitlin Wolf, Katie Primrose, Shekaya Blades, Breanna Heck, Quinn Nelson, Kayla Adams, Shelby Primrose, and Assistant Coach Melissa DeMille.

The Morrin Senior High Junior Varsity Basketball Team (Grades 9 to 11) captured the gold in the weekend zones hosted by Notre Dame Collegiate in High River.
The team played a total of four games beginning Friday afternoon. They lost their first game, with Brooks edging them 45 to 44. The team then won their game later that day against Banff, putting Morrin at second place in Pool B. Saturday morning Morrin met the host team Notre Dame, who was first in Pool A, and beat them handily by 50 points.
That put Morrin in the gold medal final against Brooks, which they won by a score of 39-36.
Coach Christine DeMille said the final game was a nailbiter, with the teams being tied with less than a minute and a half left in the game. Shelby Primrose scored four points to move Morrin ahead, but with only 18 seconds remaining, Morrin fouled Brooks to give them two free throws. Brooks sank one for a point, then the Morrin team held the ball and ran the clock down for the win.
Coach DeMille said all the young ladies worked together very well as a team, and that she is very proud of them.
The Morrin team is made up of students from both Morrin and Delia schools.

Local pool sharks nearing end of season

Pool Player NOT from Drumheller

Photo courtesy Drumheller BCA pool league

Drumheller’s competitive pool league is preparing to wind things up for another year.
   The local branch of Big Country Amusements (BCA) year end tournament is just over a month away, scheduled this year for the end of April.
   The league has been playing with 24 teams since two dropped out earlier this year.
   Local league coordinator Ralph Veenhuis said the finals will be held at the Stampede Barn, taking place over April 25, 26 and 27.
   Veenhuis said it’s a tight race to the finish this year.
   “A lot of teams are close - anybody can win.”
   One of the reasons the race could be close is because Drumheller has some high calibre players.
   “We’ve got some really good, top quality world wide players here,” Veenhuis said.
   The BCA website states all players must have their games completed by April 22 to compete in the year end pool tournament.
   The league fees players pay each week go into purchasing prizes for the league.
   Forty percent of the prizes are draw prizes, so any team can win, Veenhuis explains - the bottom team has won a houseboat trip the last few years.
   On the table this year are five Las Vegas trips, about ten houseboat trips, deep sea fishing trips, and golf trips.
   Veenhuis said the League is basically an evening out, and it tries not to cater to just the best players.
   The type of pool the Drumheller league plays is eight ball.
   “It’s the most common game there is, North American wide,” said Veenhuis.
   The Drumheller League follows CSI (Cue Sports International) rules, he explains. They are the group hosting the 2014 Las Vegas tournament at the Rio Inn and Suites.
   He said there about 10,000 people from all over the world involved in the tournament, with games spread across 400 pool tables.
   He notes the Drumheller league usually sends 40 players to the annual event.

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