The Stettler Peewee Storm hockey team defended its provincial title the weekend before last in Red Deer, sweeping through the tournament undefeated.
The boys took the provincial A championship after a Sunday 5-3 win against St. Albert Mission.
“They (Stettler) played just fantastic,” coach Jason Hegberg said. “They played their butts off.”
The team started early on Friday and played two games that day, devastating their opponents with what Hegberg said were “pretty lopsided” scores.
On Saturday, the Stettler team faced off against their seasonal foe, Ponoka.
“We usually have success against them,” Hegberg noted. “It’s never a cake walk or a sure thing, though.”
The team continued to play as it had all season, Hegberg said, pushing to a win over the Ponoka challengers, a move that put Stettler into first place in their pool.
In the semi-finals on Sunday, Stettler faced off with Grand Prairie and “dominated,” Hegberg said, setting stage for the win over St. Albert.
It’s the second straight provincial win for the Storm, and Hegberg said last year’s first year players were excellent mentors in their roles as senior players this time around.
Alex DeYoung, 12, was one of the second-year players on the team.
“It was a good tournament,” he said. “It was close through the whole (final) game. Both teams are very good.”
Hegberg praised the second year players for keeping the younger players on target.
“They were very good about keeping the others calm and focused,” he said.
The team approached the tournament with the “same game plan” as they’ve approached all games this season, Hegberg explained. The goal was simple: Assist the Storm’s goalie in keeping the opposition out, and keep the puck deep in the competition’s zone, increasing the scoring chances.
“It’s very cliché, but it works to a T,” Hegberg said.
Thirteen-year-old Rhett Shingoose said the tournament was a great way to end his peewee career. He, like DeYoung, moves into the next age category next fall.
“Playing (tournaments) is really fun,” Shingoose said. “You’re playing a bunch of teams you’ve never played before, and you have no idea how good they are, or what to expect.”
He didn’t come into the provincials expecting to win again, though Shingoose said it was good to be on top a second time.
“Every year is a new year,” he explained. “It’s harder and it’s easier, depending on the team you play. This year’s final was a really hard game to play.”
Hegberg said he hoped to see next year’s peewee team make the provincial championship a threepeat, but “it’s there for anybody to take,” he said.
The success of the team, and the other teams that make up the Stettler Minor Hockey Association, helps build a foundation for the future of the association, said Hegberg, who doubles as the president of the association.
“It’s not just about winning provincial championships, but it doesn’t hurt to bring home the banners. It shows what we can do.”