The Red Deer Rush U19A ringette team won provincial gold on home ice.
This past weekend, the Kinsmen served as the home of the Ringette Alberta U19A and U16A Provincial Championships.
In round-robin action, the U19A Rush went 2-0-1. The team's opening game was against the Calgary North West Tango and ended in a 2-2 tie. Red Deer went on to win its final two round-robin games 7-0 against the Airdrie Sting and 6-3 against the Edmonton Edge.
In the semifinal, Red Deer defeated the South Calgary Sirens 5-4. Then in the final, Red Deer faced off against the Tango again — this time the Rush won 9-3 to capture provincial gold.
"The girls were super excited. They worked really hard throughout the tournament. ... This was a big accomplishment," said Braden Kilpatrick, U19A Rush head coach.
"The Tango was a team that beat us in the beginning of the year and at time throughout the season — we've had some really close games with them. In the final, it was a tough game in the beginning. It was back and forth, but we kept fighting. In the second period we took command of the game and won it from there."
Kilpatrick said home-ice advantage was a factor in winning provincial gold.
"The fans packed that arena and I think that helped us along. People in the crowd had their faces painting, there was drumming, We had a couple people wearing blue (body suits). Having that home crowd really helped us out," he said.
The Rush will now head to the Western Canadian Ringette Championships later this month.
"I think we have high expectations going into Westerns," said Kilpatrick.
"This is the first time any of these girls have had the opportunity to play in Westerns. There are some nerves, but they always work hard and rise to the occasion. Hopefully, we can be successful there."
The U16A Red Deer Rush defeated the Edmonton Surge in the seventh-place game. Meanwhile, the U12C Red Deer Rush squad won provincial bronze in Beaumont this past weekend.
