Two minor teams from the Rockyview Lacrosse Association (RVLA) showed their mettle this summer, finishing first in their leagues before placing on the podium at the ensuing provincial championships.
The Rockyview Rage 13A and 15A teams both won their respective divisions in the Calgary and District Lacrosse Association (CDLA) this summer, landing them each a spot in the provincial tournaments, held July 14 to 16 in Edmonton.
While both RVLA teams fell short of securing gold at the season-ending provincials, Gareth Barley, the head coach of the 13A Rage, said Rockyviews' performances in these two age groups were very impressive this year.
He said his 13A team went through adversity midway through the season, which meant they had to find their feet in order to peak in time for the CDLA playoffs in early July.
“We went on a losing streak, and went through a growth curve,” Barley said. “The players needed to learn how to play in a system...but they came together at the right time.
“We won the last game of the regular season, moved into playoffs very hot, and the guys came out ready to play. They were focused, there were no complaints on the bench, and there was a team-first mentality.”
The Rage 13A team went 6-5-1 in the regular season, but found their groove in the playoffs, where they won all three of their games. Rockyview secured the CDLA title on July 4, beating the Calgary Axemen 7-4.
“We came together at the right time,” Barley said. “We played some top teams in the playoffs and every team we played was ahead of us in the standings. We knocked them off to go to provincials.”
Once in provincial finals July 14 to 16, the Rage came up against a resolute Sherwood Park Titans, who bested the Rockyview team 4-3 and 8-7 in a closely fought, best-of-three series to determine Alberta's best U13 team.
“They were very good games,” Barley said. “The team played well, they were focused, and I’m excited for next year already.”
According to Barley, Rockyview's 15A team went through a similarly strong post-season to come out on top in the CDLA, though he noted the older group was more dominant during their regular season, posting a 11-1 record.
In addition to the two city championships, Barley said there were some other notable accomplishments in the 13A and 15A age groups this year. A few of the Rage's 13A players made the Junior Roughnecks, while seven 15A players cracked the Zone 2 (Big Country) team that went on to win gold at the recent Alberta Summer Games in Okotoks.
“It kind of shows the depth of these two age groups in Rocky View, which is nice to see,” he said. “That should set them up for success over the next two seasons. Rockyview is typically a smaller organization. We’ve grown a lot this year, so to have the success we’ve had has been nice to see.”
