The Central Alberta Amazons will be able to call themselves provincial champions after taking first place in the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League (AJFHL).
After a number of ups and downs during the first two rounds of playoffs the Amazons came through in the end with 4-2 and 5-2 wins in the best of three round against the Spruce Grove Stars on March 26 and 27.
Although the Amazons went into playoffs in first place in the south division their journey to the final did not come easily.
In the first round they faced off against the Cremona Hericanes taking the first win in the series but with Cremona fighting back to win the second.
In the third and final game the two teams battled their way to an overtime shootout where the Amazons scored to win on their ninth shooter.
Just before round two of the playoffs the team got an emotional shock when on her 19th birthday an unidentified player got a call with the news her stepfather had passed away. She decided to still ride to Lethbridge with her teammates. She eventually went on to score the winning goal in another game three overtime shootout. That win took the team to the league finals.
“She showed so much strength,” said Tracy Leiper, Amazons team manager.
“That’s one thing about our team, we have no hot shot superstars but everyone works together and everyone contributes.”
Once it came down to the final playoff round the girls had one last challenge to face, a challenge that came in the form of a Cinderella comeback team.
The Spruce Grove Stars went into the playoffs in fourth and beat the first and second place teams to make it to the finals.
“We didn’t know what to expect. We were a little scared, and they had this little goalie that wouldn’t quit so we just had to work that much harder,” said Leiper.
However, the team, and the coaches Valerie Gill, Steve Dunn, and Rick Potter, still managed to take the series in two games.
“(The final) was a good game. We went into it knowing that if we won that would be it but we were prepared mentally and physically,” said Megan Doiron, team captain for the Amazons.
“It felt pretty good. It just goes to show that all of our hard work and practice paid off and if felt great.”
The Amazons will now be hosting a league All-Star game at their home arena at the Penhold Regional Multiplex.
Four or five of the best players on each of the teams will face off in a north versus south game on Sunday, April 10, at 3:45 p.m.
All members of the public are welcome to attend.
