After a dominant regular season and the securing of a divisional banner, the Cochrane-based Bow Valley Timberwolves U15 AA boys' hockey team is hoping to cap off the campaign with a provincial banner.
The Timberwolves are currently in Wainwright, where they are competing at the U15 AA boys' provincial championship tournament. The Timberwolves qualified for the five-team tournament after winning the South Central Alberta Hockey League (SCAHL) banner last weekend.
Bow Valley got off to a strong start, beating the St. Albert Bears 5-2 on Thursday in their first of four round-robin games. They'll be back in action this morning at 9 a.m. to face the Calgary NWCAA Stampeders. Then, after a brief break, the Cochranites will hit the ice again for an afternoon fixture against the host Wainwright Polar Kings.
On Saturday, the Timberwolves will wrap up the round robin with a game against the Camrose Vikings. Based on their first four results and how they finish in the five-team round robin, Bow Valley will either play again on Sunday for the gold or bronze medal, or head back to Cochrane with their tail between their legs.
Alec Miller, the team's head coach, said Bow Valley's win over St. Albert was the perfect way to kick off the tournament, and will give the players confidence heading into the rest of their games.
"We got off to a good start," Miller said. "There’s a lot to build on going forward, but it’s good to get the first one out of the way.”
The Timberwolves will have a target on their backs this weekend, coming into the provincial tournament after claiming the SCAHL banner on March 11 after beating the top team from the south division, the Wheatland Warriors, 2-0 in a best-of-three series.
Before that, during the regular season, the Timberwolves coasted to a first place finish in the SCAHL north division with a 30-1-1 record. They then continued their winning ways into the playoffs, securing the SCAHL title with seven straight post-season victories.
Bow Valley has scored a league-high 234 goals in their 39 games (an average of six per outing) and conceded just 69, or less than two per fixture.
“We’ve had an unbelievable season," Miller said, almost understatedly. "It starts with buy-in. All 18 guys in the dressing room have all bought in to our system, our style of play, and the expectations for each other and what we bring to the rink every day."
While team success can often breed individual egos, Miller said that fortunately hasn't been the case with the Timberwolves this season. He said the players are all good friends and there are no subgroups or cliques within the locker room.
"It’s one big wolfpack, and I think that’s huge," he said. "We’re certainly an extremely skilled team, but without that culture and foundation, we wouldn’t have gotten to where we are this year.”
With potentially five games in just four days this weekend, Miller said he and his coaching staff are stressing to their players the importance of proper pre- and post-game preparation, and getting a good night's sleep in the hotel in Wainwright each night.
"We have an awesome parent group that is able to provide some resources," he said. "We have a massage therapist as one of the parents.
"We give the guys the tools to push through the tough games and the aches and pains of the weekend. We’re stressing good habits like getting a good sleep and all those things.”
Given how successful the Timberwolves have been already this season, a provincial championship is the AA team's goal this weekend. But Miller stressed it's about not getting carried away with that goal and taking it game by game.
“I know there’s a lot of expectation for our group, but we’re trying not to let that get cast into our group at all," he said. "We just have to think game by game, day by day, and all collectively work toward that goal.”
To follow the Timberwolves' progress this weekend, visit u15aa.haprovincials.ca
U18s also at provincials
The Timberwolves U15 group isn't the Cochrane association's only AA boys' team vying for provincial glory – the U18 AA boys' squad is also going to compete at provincials, which will take place in Sylvan Lake from March 30 to April 2.
Bow Valley's older group qualified for the tournament in dramatic fashion last weekend, after winning 2-1 in double-overtime against the Medicine Hat Hounds on March 19 in the SCAHL banner game.
Andrew Grunde got to be the OT hero for the Cochrane squad, scoring after a set-up pass from Ayden Duffee.
It's been a busy season for the Timberwolves' U18s, who have already played 42 games this season, generating an 18-13-11 overall record to top the north division.
