Holden Rural Academy opening PAGE 9
Your LOCAL Media since 1918! Volume 105 Issue 30
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Wednesday, March 29, 2023 s
Tofield hosts U15 Provincials John Mather Staff Reporter
It was a lot of work and after four days of living at Tofield Arena, U-15 Tier 3 provincial host chair Nikki Jardine was exhausted, but all the effort was well worth it, she states. “This tournament in my opinion has been a great success,” she said Mar. 26. taking a break during the championship game between the High Level North Stars and the Elk Point Avalanche. “The kids have had a great time and parents have been complimenting our committee on how well the tournament has been run.” Everyone went bowling and had a great time including a scavenger hunt being hosted where participants had to go to different businesses in Tofield to find specific items, she added. “The kids organized it themselves,” said Jardine. “Everyone had a great time.” Jardine admitted the host Tofield Titans had some challenges and she felt nerves may have got the best of them during the tournament. The team went through the round robin with an 0-3 record losing their games 8-6 to High Level, dropping a 122 decision to eventual champion Elk Point Avalanche, and a 5-2 loss to Edmonton’s KC603 Sabres. “They could have done well if the nerves didn’t get to them,” Jardine said. She said it had been eight years since Tofield had hosted a provincial championship and it would probably be another eight years before the next. “But it has been great,” she stated. “It has brought business to the community and it’s been putting Tofield on the map.” Seven teams travelled to Tofield from as far as Bow Valley, High Level, and Elk Point. Other teams came from Edmonton, Fairview, Innisfail, and Smoky Lake. Playing in two pools the teams played a three-game round robin event with the top two teams in the two pools playing a cross-over semi final and the championship game being played in the afternoon Mar. 26. High Level and Elk Point emerged as
Parker Larin sings OʼCanada to begin the U15 Provincial hockey tournament in Tofield over the weekend. JANA SEMENIUK PHOTO the two semi final winners and faced each other in the championship. During round robin, the teams had faced off in Pool A where Elk Point edged High Level 4-3. In the championship game, High Level jumped out to an early lead when Shane Thompson scored at 7:50 of the opening frame. Kase Steffen added a second goal at 12:57 on a power play
with Elk Point’s Madden Flamand off for roughing. High Level extended the lead to 3-0 when Steffen notched his second of the period at 15:37. Flamand redeemed himself late in the first scoring a quick pair of goals at 15:45 and 15:52 to narrow the High Level lead to 3-2 at the end of the first period.
High Level ran into penalty troubles in the second period taking seven penalties including a game misconduct and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Late in the period, with High Level’s Shane Thompson off for head butting, Elk Point’s Quinton Dumont-Quinney knotted the game at 3-3 with a power play marker at 18:06. Continued on Page 18
Provincials host Tofield U15 Titans: Back row (left to right) James Rennie, Jason Pope, Mike Tooke; Middle row (left to right) Jorden Suchy, Marshall Mcleod, Colton Munson, Scott Jardine, Ben Fleming, Brandon Jardine, Parker Stewart-Cantin, Logan Kropp; Front row (left to right) Noah Peterson, Nicholas Tooke, Owen Rennie, Jack Teefy, Ashton Hartt, Koston McNabb, Mason Jeffrey, and Steven Cardinal. Missing Billy Teefy, Kyle Jeffrey, Theresa Jeffrey, and Jen McNabb