The Airdrie Aztec ’97 boys’ U-14 soccer team played five games in 41 hours during the Subway Rock Around the Clock Indoor Classic in Camrose Feb. 4-5, fighting off exhaustion to win the gold medal.
The team beat the Coaldale Thunder 2-1 in the final and goalkeeper Rohan Bagga was named tournament MVP.
The Aztec boys opened the tourney with a 3-3 draw against the host Camrose Titans, then drew again, 1-1 against Coaldale. After beating Wainwright, the team finished first in its group and had to play Wainwright again in the semi-finals – at 4 a.m. Airdrie won that match too and went on to face Coaldale in the final.
The U-16 girls’ Aztecs took home silver at the same tournament.
In meeting number three of Airdrie’s NHL players, Dana Tyrell had an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat Zach Boychuk’s Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in overtime at home on Feb. 12. Tyrell’s assist came on Sean Bergenheim’s second-period goal.
Boychuk logged 6:11 of ice time in 10 shifts for Carolina, who sit in eighth place in the NHL’s Eastern Conference playoff race. Tampa Bay is in second. The two teams will meet again March 25.
Former Airdrie Xtreme captain Nils Moser will make his latest return to southern Alberta on Family Day Monday, when his Regina Pats visit the Calgary Hitmen for the CHL’s first-ever outdoor game in Canada.
The team’s will play at 1 p.m. at McMahon Stadium – one day after the NHL’s Heritage Classic between the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens.
The CHL’s first outdoor game was held last month in Spokane.
Last week’s Rocky View Sports Association basketball scores were: in boys varsity, Bert Church over Bow Valley 99-91, Chestermere over George McDougall 96-76 and Cochrane over Springbank 71-52. In varsity girls’ action, George McDougall beat Chestermere 81-48, Bow Valley beat Bert Church 46-41 and Springbank beat Cochrane 72-66.
In boys’ JV, Bert Church beat Bow Valley 71-40, Cochrane beat Springbank 82-48 and Chestermere beat George McDougall 70-41. In girls’ JV, Cochrane beat Springbank 50-31, Bow Valley beat Bert Church 47-29 and Chestermere beat George McDougall 53-44.
The Airdrie Minor Basketball Association is hosting its inaugural boys’ and girls’ Bantam U-13 invitational tournament at Genesis Place, Feb. 18-19. Twenty-five teams from Airdrie, Calgary, Okotoks and Edmonton will be participating in games running from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 19.
Athletes at Canada Winter Games
Three Airdrie athletes are competing for Team Alberta at the Canada Winter Games, running in Halifax until Feb. 27. Spenser Jensen is on the boys’ hockey team, while Mackenzie Lenton and Michael Roy are on the boys’ curling team. Long-track speed skater Brianne Tutt was also scheduled to compete, but is busy skating with the women’s national team.
