The Cochrane Rockies U14C ringette team has reached the summit at the Ringette Alberta provincial championships.
The Rockies were crowned champions after going undefeated in all five of their games at the March 21-23 provincials, hosted by Sherwood Park. They beat a Calgary South team 5-3 to claim the title.
Twelve teams from across the province were divided into three pools for the tournament.
U14C coach Brent Buckingham said the team was on a learning curve early in the season before stringing together several wins.
"Everyone was getting jacked up, but we just couldn't win a tournament. We'd get to the finals and just couldn't get over the hump. It was like, 'Oh man, silver again. Come on.'"
That all changed when they won provincials, but first, they had to deal with some pre-game jitters.
"I realized there was almost too much pressure on them, so I said, 'OK, who cares? Let's just go out there. If you're not having fun, it's not worth it.' They all played fantastically, and they ended up winning provincials. It was great."
Team manager Jasmin Mulcahy said the team won their zone banner the weekend before.
"I think, overall, it’s been super heartwarming to see these girls come in, watch them grow as athletes, and come together as a team," she said. "The bonding that takes them to finals like this is very rewarding to watch."
Over the weekend, the Rockies U12B team also won regionals to wrap up their season.
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At last year's provincials, the Rockies U14B and U19B teams both captured zone banners. The U14Bs won silver at provincials, and the U19Bs finished fourth.
Ringette is on the rise in Cochrane and girls are invited to catch the wave. A free Come Try Ringette event is being held on Apr. 27 at Totem 3 in the SLS Centre.