When the Warner Hockey School ended its season in Banff on March 17, it also marked the conclusion of another year of game experience for seven Rocky View County athletes.
Cochraneís Jade Walsh, Emma Nutter and Samantha Sutherland, Bearspawís Cylenna and Channia Alexander, Cora Place, who is from Indus, and Airdrieís Mackenzie Ebel, all play for the southern Alberta prep school team.
Warner, which is located about 70 kilometres southeast of Lethbridge, is home to one of 10 teams in the Junior Womenís Hockey League (JWHL) ñ an elite North American establishment.
The Warriors finished second in the league this season, after dropping the league final to the North American Hockey Academy (NAHA), from Vermont, in Denver on March 9.
ìIt was an excellent year and weíre already looking forward to next year,î said Warner head coach Mikko Makela, a former NHL and Finnish international player. ìI thought that was very good accomplishment for the young team that we have. They gave everything, we have no regrets ñ the girls left everything in Colorado.î
Makela, who has been behind the bench in Warner for the past five years, and helped found the JWHL, said the Rocky View athletes were an essential element to the teamís success this year.
He specifically credited their quick adaptation to the speed of the game, as well as a fast adjustment to the intensity of the academics.
ìItís a pleasure to have these girls in our program; they all have good attributes that they bring to the team,î Makela said.
ìObviously our program is a little bit different than some of the other ones around and thereís been a lot of learning to do. Itís an academy, not a social program, and thatís where I think the difference is at. The girls learn that, and learn to maintain the work ethic on and off the ice. Itís an adjustment, for sure.î
With the 10 teams in the JWHL, which also includes the Edge School, spread out from Vermont and Minnesota, to B.C. and Alberta, the travel element plays a significant role, Makela said.
But he believes travelling to cities such as Boston, Denver, Minneapolis and Vancouver, for weekend tournaments is an invaluable experience.
ìItís very good for them to see different places and different programs,î he said. ìIíd say thatís a pretty nice experience.î
The team also visited a number of top-level American universities, including Harvard, Northeastern and Boston University. Makela said the Rocky View seven all have potential to play at the next level, but the process wonít be as easy or foregone as it once was.
ìThings have changed a lot in the last five years. Before, to get into these schools, youíd have to be a good hockey player. Now, you have to be stronger academically and a very strong player,î he said, adding that with more exposure, comes more players and increased rivalry on the recruitment trail.
ìThe commitment these girls now have to make is unbelievable. Thereís not many more schools coming up, but there are more and more girls coming up, so the competition is getting unbelievable.î
Canadian universities, such as the University of Alberta and the University of Lethbridge, have further developed their programs and have started to become more involved with the recruiting process in the past few years as well, Makela said, providing more opportunities closer to home.
ìThatís very nice to see and very welcome. I think it gives more options for the girls and Canadian universities would be a great option,î he said.
ìThere is a lot of potential in this group. But it will be a lot of work. Some of them of are two years away; some of them are only one year away. It will be a difficult road ahead of them, but theyíre on their way there.î
