First time for Alberta at national tourney

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Despite limited preparation, Alberta's entries managed to turn in some respectable results at this year's National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

The tournament was held April 18 to 24 in Prince George, B.C. This was the third year of the national Aboriginal tournament. The first two events were both staged in Akwesasne, Ont.

This marked the first year, however, that Alberta sent teams to the nationals. The province was represented by both a girls' and a boys' club. The national tourney featured seven girls' and eight boys' squads.

"I didn't expect to go in and win it," said Leiha Crier, who coached the Alberta girls' team to a fifth-place finish.

Crier's charges posted a 2-4 round-robin record. Though this mark was not good enough to qualify for the tournament's semi-finals, Alberta did play once more and defeated British Columbia 5-2 in a match that determined fifth and sixth place.

"We beat the weaker teams and we did well against the stronger teams," Crier said. "We didn't have any blowouts. It was good in that sense."

Alberta also defeated British Columbia 7-2 in a round-robin game. Its other victory was a 6-1 decision over a team representing the Atlantic provinces.

In Alberta's other games it was defeated 4-2 by Saskatchewan, 8-2 by the Quebec-based team called Eastern Door and The North, 8-2 by Ontario South and 9-1 by Ontario North.

The Ontario South side went on to win the girls' division, downing Ontario North 5-2 in the gold-medal contest.

Meanwhile, three members of the Alberta girls' team were awarded for their play at the tournament. And those three players-centre Patti Wolroth, right winger Kayla Baptiste and defender Lynsey Own Chief-have been invited to a national Native high performance camp that will be staged at the University of Ottawa this summer.

All participating players will have their expenses paid for at the week-long camp.

"That was the biggest highlight out of the whole thing-getting those girls noticed," Crier said.

The Alberta team had little time to prepare for the tournament. It staged just one two-day tryout camp in Hobbema.

"We missed out on a lot of girls who could have taken part," said Crier, adding next year's Alberta team is hoping to have three tryout camps across the province.

As for the Alberta boys' club, it also ended up placing fifth in its division.

"We didn't put our team together until two, three weeks before the tournament," said coach Danny Buffalo. "With the amount of time we had to prepare, I'm happy."

Since Alberta had not been previously represented at the nationals, this year's reps were unsure of what they were getting themselves into.

"I didn't know what to expect," Buffalo said. "I had an idea it was going to be a high-calibre event. And it was."

The Alberta team managed to win two out of its three round-robin games. It registered a 9-7 victory over Ontario North-a team that went on to win the gold medal-and a 4-2 decision over Saskatchewan. Alberta was downed 6-4 by Eastern Door and The North in its other round-robin match. In playoff action, Alberta was edged 6-5 by Manitoba in its quarter-final game. Alberta then beat the Atlantic reps 8-4 in the battle for fifth and sixth place.

Buffalo was pleased to see his side defeat the eventual gold-medallists. And he was also satisfied with his club's quarter-final efforts against the province which had won the silver medal at the 2003 nationals. "It gives us an indication we can compete with other teams," he said.

The Alberta boys' team also had one of its players chosen to attend this summer's Native high performance camp in Ottawa. Making that trip will be defenceman Curtis Woods.