C I T Y L I F E | S P O R TS
PQ – “This year when we score, it’s like, ‘Alright, I want more”
Airdrie Lightning head coach Ray Hoppins addresses his players before his team takes on the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs at Genesis Place Jan. 5, 2018. Airdrie lost 2-1 in a shootout.
The girls often faced-off against each other throughout their earlier minor hockey years playing in and around their hometowns of Airdrie, Cochrane, Olds, Crossfield, Cremona, Didsbury and Bowden. Those memories of seeing each other at the other end of the ice are fresh enough to be remembered, but the girls laugh as they open up about the respect they had for one another then and now. Emma begins, followed by Schulze. “When we played, I was like ‘Sarah Nusl, she’s so good. I hate playing Sarah,’” says Emma. “We were just like, ‘Awe, she’s so good,’” says Schulze. As the girls head off to get ready for practice, coach Hoppins says he attributes the girls’ success to simply working on scoring in practice by breaking down technical aspects and working on team and individual strategies. A vast majority of players returned from 2016-2017, and Ray says many of the girls could play AAA. He also tips his hat to strong play from the Lightning’s two new goalies, starter Cianna Weir and backup Kayla Savoie-Penton. Savoie-Penton is based in Airdrie and played with the Banff Hockey Academy last season, while Weir is from Olds and travelled to Lloydminster to play in the Elite league last year. “Both goalies have bailed us out of frantic play,” says coach Hoppins. Weir was leading the league with 11 wins late in January, while holding a .92 save percentage (SV%) and 2.18 goals against average (GAA). Backup Savoie-Penton only started in one game, a loss to the South division-leading Calgary Fire Red. Ray says he has taken note of the transformation from opponent to comrade. 108
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S P R I N G 2018
They’ve taken steps to form friendships, which Schulze says gives them an edge. “I think as a team because we’re all close it helps us connect better when we’re on the ice,” she says, noting it’s an accomplishment the girls are so tight, as hardly any go to the same schools, being from different centres. Notably, the midget team, in partnership with an atom girls squad, fundraised turkeys for families in need to have for Christmas, donating a whopping 236 turkeys to Airdrie Food Bank. “It’s just a fun team to play on,” says Schulze. life
Airdrie Lightning defenceman Kayla Bell battles for the puck with Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs forward Zoe Lorenz-Boser.