It was a proud weekend for Stettler Minor Hockey as some of the teams ended up at the top of the charts.
Stettler Atoms played Battle River Knights in the semi-finals, winning 3-2 before facing Okotoks in the finals in Sedgewick this past Sunday, March 19 beating them 4-2 and winning the provincial championship.
Head Coach Clint Greiner said that he couldn’t be happier for his team.
“They put a lot of hard work throughout the year leading up to provincials,” Greiner said. “They stuck to the plan and even when we were down they never stopped fighting and persevered.”
According to Greiner, the girls truly gave everything their nine-and-ten-year old bodies would let them over the five-game weekend.
“The real win was the experience that they had all year with their teammates and the memories they made,” Greiner added. “I cannot say enough about the dedication and drive these girls have to achieve their goals on and off the ice. They truly are a hockey family.”
With one more banner to win in the weekend, the Stettler Atom girls will be taking on Olds this weekend in away and home games.
Stettler PeeWee girls crowned league champions
It was another win for Stettler Minor Hockey as the PeeWee girls won the league championship this past weekend in Camrose.
Playing Camrose in a home game, the girls beat them 3-1, going on to win the second game against them in Camrose with another 3-1 win.
They will be playing for the provincial championship this weekend in Ponoka.
Stettler Bantam boys end strong season, losing to Vermilion Tigers 7-2
The Bantam boys attended the provincial tournament held in Gibbons and Bon Accord this past weekend.
While playing in Pool A they started with a tough game against the host team, Crows Nest North CNN Spurs and lost the game 4-3, even after outshooting Spurs 46 to 23.
The MVP for Stettler in this first game was Captain Andrew Chapman.
In their second game on Friday, March 17 the Bantams faced Lethbridge Grizzlies and soundly defeated them with a score of 8-2.
The MVP for Stettler in this game was Shay Anderson, who had a multi-point game.
On Saturday, March 18 the boys had a showdown with the Barrhead Pirates, who were one of the favoured teams to win the overall tournament.
“The game was a hard-checking match with both teams keeping pace in goals,” said Coach Duncan Babchuk. “Stettler were leading the Pirates 5-4 late in the third period, when Captain Andrew Chapman scored goal number 6 for Stettler.”
Stettler beat Pirates, 8-4.
Goaltender Jacob Cottom earned the well-deserved MVP award for this game, as a result of his outstanding performance.
On Sunday, March 19 the Bantams faced off against the Vermilion Tigers, in a 1 vs. 2 semi-final crossover game
“Stettler held the lead for half of the game, until the Tigers broke the match open in the second period,” Babchuk added. “The Bantams were unable to tie the game or take back the lead in the end.”
The final score was 7-5 for the Tigers, which unfortunately ended the strong season for the Bantams.