The Innisfail Female Atom Flyers gave it their all at the 2016 ATB Financial Provincial Championships last weekend but had to settle for a spot in the top four after losing a close 3-2 semifinal game to Olds.
“I'm very proud of the team. Those girls showed a lot of heart all season long and they played for each other as a team,” said head coach Randy Graham. “We came up a little bit short today (March 20) but we had our chances and it just didn't work out.”
The Flyers kicked off the provincial championships March 17-20 on Thursday evening against Calgary and finished with a 6-6 tie. They won Friday's match against Lloydminster with a strong offensive game to claim a 10-0 victory. The local squad then tied Okotoks on Saturday 4-4. Okotoks went on to win the tourney with a 3-1 win over Olds in the final game on Sunday.
The Innisfail Female Atom Flyers were undefeated in the regular season and won the Rocky Mountain Female Hockey League championship and title this year.
“These girls have a league championship banner to hang up in the rink next year. We proved all season that we were a fantastic team,” added Graham.
In Sunday's semifinal, Innisfail faced Olds for the first time in the tournament. The game was tied 1-1 going into the third period and despite a tough battle that saw the Flyers down 3-1 early in the frame, Innisfail stayed with them and scored a power-play goal late in the period to make it 3-2, which would be the final score.
“We've had some injuries in this tournament but the girls battled through and rallied around each other,” said Graham. “We had a tough go to get to the semifinals. The girls put it all on the line. We outshot the other team 15 to 10. We carried the play at times. We just didn't get that puck to go in and they got a few goals.”
Connie Holbein, team manager and chair for the provincial championship tourney was pleased with Innisfail's efforts and the success of the tournament. “Our team is a true team. There's nobody that plays as an individual. They work together. They play together. They play for each other,” she said, noting the community support for the tournament.
“It was a lot of fun hosting an atom girls tournament. We did things a little bit differently and it was well received by the teams, the players and the parents,” said Holbein. “Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves.”
Despite the semifinal loss, Graham said it was a fantastic season and tournament run -- one that coaching staff, parents and players can be proud of.
“I think they will leave the rink with a smile on their face and their chin held high but they're pretty sad right now,” said Graham. “They've got a lot of heart and it hurts to lose but at the same time it's going to make them stronger people, stronger players and they'll be that much better for next year.”
Randy Graham
"These girls have a league championship banner to hang up in the rink next year. We proved all season that we were a fantastic team."
