Minor hockey teams from all over Alberta are competing for the title of provincial champions. One of those teams is representing Drumheller in the provincial arena.
    The Tier 3 Midget Raptors, which have been having a strong season thus far, are getting ready to enter the second round of provincials, starting tomorrow.
    Their opponents are their division rivals from Canmore, who currently are in first place of the Central Alberta Hockey League Tier 3 Midget division.
    The Raptors breezed through the first round, but are expecting more resistance from Canmore.
    “I don’t think we can compare round 1 to 2, because it’s going to be a lot more difficult. We’ve played them before and they’re a difficult team to beat. So far, we’ve lost one and tied one against them and they’re the top team in our league,” said Nick Schinnour, assistant coach for the Raptors.
    The Raptors are a formidable force on the ice, but are often fighting against both their opponents and the penalty box.
    “I think if we stay out of the penalty box, we’d have an excellent team. The penalties are hurting us pretty bad. You can’t play short-handed all game,” said Schinnour. “They’re all pretty committed hockey players and want to win. They’re passionate at what they do and show it on the ice.”
    Provincial games are decided by who can score the most goals in two games. The first game will take place tonight in the Drumheller Memorial Arena at 7:15 p.m. The second game will be in Canmore.
    “They’re playing really well together now. It’s going to be a rough, tough game for sure. They’re a really good team,” said Schinnour. “We can skate with them and if we can stay out of the box, we can win it for sure.”

    The St. Anthony’s girls Sabres were back in action after returning from the holidays.
    Although they lost, they showed they were growing as a team, especially during their tournament over the weekend.
    On Wednesday, January 9, the Sabres hosted the Trochu Blue Jays, and suffered a tough 49-15 defeat.
    Trochu took the lead quickly in the first quarter and kept a firm hold throughout. The Sabres had difficulty with turnovers and rebounds throughout the game.
    The Sabres began to rally late in the fourth and were able to generate some offensive opportunities. However, Trochu held on for the win.
    “We have been working a lot on rebounding, as we do not have a lot of height on our team, and we have lost two power forwards to injuries. This has meant that we have had to move around some of our players into new positions, where they have had to adjust to quickly,” said head coach Chloe Grant.
    The Sabres then hosted their own tournament on the weekend of January 11 and 12 at St. Anthony’s School.
    Their first game was against Morrin, who played an aggressive game against the young Sabres squad.
    “We had a small bench of only seven players, two of which had recently joined our team and had little knowledge of our plays, so we had to really simplify our offense,” said Grant.
    Their second game was against Forestburg, who eventually went on to place first in the tournament overall. Forestburg only had five players, but moved the ball and knew how to take advantage of the Sabres’ small size.
    “They would often pull up their power forward to the high post, and either do a give and go with the point guard, or their power forward would drive to the hoop,” said Grant.
    The Sabres final and best game was against Bassano. Unfortunately they lost, but they showed considerable growth as a team.
    “Their communication with each other on the floor was much better, and the captain of our team, Bailey Faubion, had a definite presence on the court. Her energy and encouragement to the rest of the team kept the girl’s intensity levels high throughout the whole game. Our defense was also very strong in this game, and our offense improved dramatically,” said Grant.
    The Sabres returned to the court on January 16 to face a strong Three Hills squad. The Sabres were severely outmanned, only having a six player team, which was enough for only one sub when players got tired.
    The Three Hills teams, in contrast, had enough players to fill two full lines.
    In the end, the tired Sabres couldn’t keep up with the comparatively well-rested Three Hills team and lost 66-15.
    The Sabres have a break this week due to provincial exams and will return to the court on January 30 when they host Prairie Christian Academy. The game starts at 5:15 p.m. in the St. Anthony’s School gymnasium.