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Everybody wins in Novice Tournament
Mac Olsen
for South Peace News
Whether they took first or second place in their final games, the High Prairie Avalanche and High Prairie Squarehead Rebels were winners nonetheless.
The Avalanche and Rebels participated in the annual High Prairie Novice Tournament in the Sports Palace March 21. Joining them were the Peace River Dodge Caravan, Slave Lake Thunder, Smoky River UFA and Valleyview Ice Bears.
“The tournament went extremely smoothly,” says Verna Isaac, one of the organizers. “We weren’t going to include the shootout at first, but at the insistence of our committee members, we decided to go ahead and it turned out excellent.”
It was a fun tournament with all teams receiving medals after their final games. Each game was comprised of two 25-minute, non-stop periods and no more than a five-goal spread was allowed to be shown on the clock at any time. Lucky Player awards were given after each game, too.
The Avalanche lost 10-4 against the Caravan in their final game. Owen Gauchier and Owen Calliou scored for the Avalanche in the first period, while Spencer Lefebvre scored twice for the Caravan.
Gauchier scored his second goal in the second period while Braydan Auger added the other.
But the Caravan added eight goals in the second period, including two by Lefebvre, two by Ren Dollevoet, three by Chance Gray and one by Ethan Novak.
Despite the loss, coach Doug Shantz says his team played well.
“I was really happy with the kids’ performance in the tournament and throughout the year,” says Shantz.
The Rebels won 3-1 against the Bears in their final game. Jonas Smith, Cole Isaac and Tanner Cunningham scored for the Rebels while Keipher Park replied for the Ice Bears.
During the medal presentations, Rebels goaltender Cody Strebchuk received a trophy for best goalie in a shootout following a game against the Thunder earlier in the day.
Coach Tyson Strebchuk is proud of his team not only for their performance during the tournament, but for the season as a whole.
“The entire tournament exceeded our expectations, it was a great way to end the season,” says Strebchuk. “I was very proud of our team. It was nice seeing them give 110 per cent, trying to use the skills they learned all season.”
Strebchuk expects big changes for the team next season, as some players will move to the Atom level.
Isaac thanks the parents for working at the draw table and running the clock, as well as all sponsors. The coaches for both teams thank everyone for making the tournament successful and all the support they received throughout the season.
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