Team Alberta is the U19AA National Champion

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It's been a week to remember for AA Calgary U19s battling it out at the 2024 Canadian Ringette Championships.

The ringette team representing Team Alberta was crowned the U19 National Champion last weekend after defeating New Brunswick 3-0.

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“I couldn't believe it was real,” said Warrior captain Sydney Rock. “I had to look at the scoreboard to make sure the game was really over – because we had been working all week and suddenly it was over.

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“But it was really fun.”

Rock says he's proud of his Warriors teammates for their accomplishments, and the team knows they'll work well as a team going into the finals.

Gwenyth Walker was a constant for Team Alberta, stopping all 21 shots for the shutout in the final game. Ashley Anderson scored twice to get the win.

The win was the second in a row for Walker, who defeated Alberta Region 2 – a team from the Calgary area – 3-0 in the semifinals a day earlier.

“Our goalie was amazing,” Rock said. “The semi-finals and the finals were a break for our goalkeeper, which was really surprising for him.”

The captain also praised the team's overall defense throughout the tournament, saying the team has improved in that department each week.

The Warriors were consistent throughout the season, winning gold medals in every tournament they entered. Before the national team, head coach Kayleigh Mino said the biggest turning point of the season was winning the gold medal at the Esso Gold Ring in January. The fight then provided the momentum to help propel them to the provincial championships and further to the nationals.

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“We are so proud of all the girls for such an amazing year,” said Mike Drew, father of Kombat's Haley and Kimberly Dunn. “Between the players, the coaches, the coaches, the volunteers and the parents, it was a great season.”

The U19 team is full of experience as the team boasts six third-year players, many of whom bring Team Canada, Canada Winter Games and other experiences. Mineult and three Combat players also had the opportunity to compete in the Rinette World Championships last November.

Team Alberta wasn't the only Calgary team playing in the Under-19 Canadian Ringette Championship, as the Calgary crew finished the tournament in fourth place after defeating the Alberta Zone 2 Blaze 3-1 in the bronze medal match.

The U16 bracket also saw a local team earn a medal as the U16AA team from Alberta represented by the Calgary Strike took home the silver medal after a 1-0 loss to the Cyclones de Quebec.

“The U19 and U16 Team Alberta did very well,” said Tim Coley, father of Strike goalkeeper Sophia Coley. “We couldn't be more proud of the effort and dedication these girls have shown.”

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The Strike's trip to the gold medal game was impressive as the team defeated the Calgary Attack 9-3 in the quarterfinals and the Alberta Zone 2 Blaze 6-1 to advance to the finals.

“This is an incredible accomplishment for this young team of athletes this year,” said Strike head coach Bill Blackwell. “The players have worked hard all year, asked questions, learned, focused and made themselves the best version of themselves.”

Blackwell says he's proud of how the team represented him and Alberta. The coach knows this experience is invaluable for the young players.

“We talked to the players about personal growth and encouraged them all to work hard with their future teams to get back to this level and lead by example after they've all been through this,” Blackwell said.

There were two more teams from Calgary in the U16 bracket, as the top Calgary fell just short of the bronze medal after losing 7-6 to the Region 2 Blaze, and the offense was eliminated after the aforementioned loss to Team Alberta.

In the National Ringette League, Calgary Rath competed in the finals, losing to Edmonton WAM 10-3!

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“Calgary Ringette has been a team in all three finals,” Dunn said. “An amazing experience all the way.”

Rock believes Calgary has a strong AA ring culture because he supports how the program is developing players and coaches and loves how supportive all the teams are of each other.

“I think since I've been in the Calgary AA program for a while, I've been able to see how much the teams support each other,” Rock said. “It's been fun being on the national team and supporting other Calgary teams like the other U19 team and the younger teams.”

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NATIONAL STARS

U16 All Stars
Sophia Coley, Team Alberta
Jaydy Patel, Team Alberta
Tasha Blackwell, Team Alberta
Brooke Rolles, Calgary Peak
Brooklyn Munro, Region 2 Blaze
Jocelyn Galbraith, Calgary Attack
Kyle Koster, Region 2 Blaze

U19 All Stars
Raegan Hatch, Calgary Crew
Sage Snethun, Team Alberta
Ashley Anderson, Team Alberta
Kaylee Armstrong, Team Alberta
Tessa Galandi, Region 2 Flame
Lauren Schoenhofen, Calgary Crew

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