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Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs win home opener

They began the AFHL season on a high note

A new era of Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs hockey began on Saturday.

Led by two new head coaches Marissa Graham and Shanya Shwetz, the U18 AAA Chiefs beat the Calgary Fire Black 4-1 Saturday afternoon at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

Defenceman Presley Zinger led the way offensively with three assists and forward Raya Hastings scored a pair of goals. Jayden Olafson and Peyton Stephenson also found the back of the net to begin the Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL) season on a high note.

Meanwhile, goaltender Ava Romanow finished with 24 saves on 25 shots in front of the home crowd. The victory comes after the Chiefs won six of their seven preseason games throughout September.

"We had a very successful preseason which was nice to see," Graham said.

"This was actually the team we had our one loss to. We've been working hard, working on good habits, and good details with the girls. We're working to get them to bring that competitive level consistently. We saw that today so it was nice to have that successful outcome of their hard work."

The co-head coaches felt it was best to lead the team as a unit because their experiences and strengths complement each other so well. Roberts handles more of the head coaching duties such as running practices and Shwetz handles more of a general manager role and recruitment while also being an associate coach.

They also brought in a phenomenal support staff to make sure they're helping the girls grow in all aspects of the game.

"For us, we're always looking to get better," Shwetz said.

"Once we reach one milestone we continue to push to reach the next one. We know there's a lot of potential that these girls have and so for us, it's all about finding a way to elevate their games and elevate them not only as athletes but also as people."

The Sutter Fund Chiefs are coming off a successful 2023-24 campaign where they earned the silver medal at provincials in Red Deer. However, the team had high expectations that season with goals of reaching the Esso Cup and were on track as the top-ranked team in the country, according to MyHockey rankings.

Shwetz said they want to win a provincial championship but explained their number one goal is to help every player reach the next level and play post-secondary hockey.

"Yes, we are looking to get to that end goal of the Esso Cup or provincial champions but the bigger thing for us is making sure these girls are set up for success when they leave our program," she said.

The Chiefs will continue their opening seeking of the AFHL season with a trip to Calgary on Sunday, Oct. 6 to take on Calgary Fire Red at noon.