In April, the midget AAA St. Albert Slash will be looking to make it two years in a row they’ve won a prestigious tournament.
Last year, the Slash captured the most prized trophy in all of Canadian girls midget hockey next to the Esso Cup national championship, when they took home the gold from the Mac’s tournament in Calgary.
This year, it’s the Esso Cup the Slash are gunning for and they will pursue that title on home ice, April 17 to 23 at Servus Credit Union Place.
“Hosting the Esso Cup is going to be amazing,” said Eliza Snider, a 16-year-old defenceman from Fort Saskatchewan. “It’s something we can build forward to and something we will be working towards. So every practice and every dry land [training session], it’s towards being the best.”
Snider is entering her third season with the Slash and was part of that memorable performance at the Mac’s, where they beat the Calgary Flyers 6-2 in the Pengrowth Saddledome on TSN.
The Slash will be powered by a line-up that features 15 players back in camp from last season. Just three had to move on because of age — forwards Michelle Tassone and Taryn McCormick and goalie Tyler Lisitza.
“Last year’s experience, especially at the Mac’s, gave us just a sense of how we can play together and if we come together, what can really happen. It’s amazing what we can do together if we just work as a team,” said Snider, who had one goal and seven assists from the blue line in 28 games.
Head coach Terry Sydor is happy to have as many returning players as he does, but at the same time, the players know that no job is ever guaranteed and everyone has to earn their spot.
“People often ask, ‘How many spots are open? Are you only looking for this or that?’” Sydor said. “The veterans, it’s their job to lose … There are some good challengers out there and we’re expecting a very competitive camp and some real, real tough decisions. It’s hard on us, very stressful, but that’s a good thing.”
Meanwhile, Charity Price is one of the rookies trying to fight her way into the line-up. The forward from Widewater, Alta., near Slave Lake, is trying to make a midget team for the first time. Last season, the diminutive 15-year-old had 20 points in 25 games for the bantam AAA St. Albert Raiders. Price said she was becoming more comfortable on the ice in her second day of camp Sunday, but it was still a big jump from bantam.
“I’m smaller and everyone else is so much bigger,” Price said. “The intensity is so much higher.”
In the Esso Cup, the Slash will be up against four regional champions. If they win the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League (AMMFHL) playoff crown, the other finalist will get a spot at nationals.
The Slash begin their journey with two pre-season games Sunday at Akinsdale Arena against Sherwood Park at 10 a.m. and Edmonton at 2 p.m.
From Sept. 10 to 12, the Slash will play in the NAIT Blue-Gold Tournament against teams from the AMMFHL and Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference.
The first regular season game is Sept. 18, when the Slash visit the Red Deer Chiefs.
Later in the year, the Slash have a trip planned to showcase their talents to National Collegiate Athletic Association scouts. In October, they will travel to Boston to play Holy Cross University and the University of Massachusetts-Boston, two NCAA Division III teams.
“It will definitely give girls experience in just how broad women’s hockey has become, especially in the States, where there is all these university opportunities,” said Snider, who hopes to be playing NCAA hockey in a couple of years. “There will be all these scouts there watching and it just lets [the girls] get noticed and it gives them opportunities for school.”
