As the finishing touches are being done for this year鈥檚 Battlefords Sharks roster, head coach Gary Berggren expects the squad to have a slightly different style of play compared to last season in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League.
鈥淲e won鈥檛 be as big as we were last year, but we will be a little bit faster and much more grittier,鈥� Berggren said following the team鈥檚 training camp this past weekend at the Civic Centre.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be a team that鈥檚 going to come out from the opening whistle and be hard to play against in every game. I think as the year plays out, you鈥檒l see us in a number of one and two goal games.鈥�
A total of 40 players took to the ice for the weekend, which was down from the record 66 that showed up to the spring camp in April.
鈥淚t actually worked out pretty well with the number of players we had on hand,鈥� Berggren said.
鈥淲e got to have a good look at all of the players that were there and we were able to split the teams equally for the black and white game we had Sunday afternoon.鈥�
Prior to the first on-ice session Saturday morning, Berggren spoke to the players about what he and the coaching staff expected to see when they were on the ice.
鈥淥ne of the biggest things was about having a strong work ethic and everyone did just that,鈥� Berggren said.
鈥淩ight from the start with our on-ice testing and even when the girls were doing their fitness tests, we were pleased by the amount of hard work everyone was putting in.鈥�
Eight spots were up for grabs for this season鈥檚 Sharks squad, as goaltender Chantel Weller, defencemen Jessie Herner and Tori MacDonald, and forwards Layne Hryhoriw, Jordan Kulbida, Kyra Ledoux, Dakota Peterson and Alyssa Roach are all not returning.
Back with this team for this season are goaltender Chloe Burt, defencemen Keera Tiringer and Maya Tupper, and forwards Ali Aitken, Keara Amson, Ensley Fendelet, Lexxa Potratz, Madison Sansom and Ashlee Wolfe.
The final roster will be determined at the end of this week, with the Sharks then practicing for a couple of weeks before a pair of exhibition games in Saskatoon on Sunday, Sept. 10 against the Weyburn Gold Wings.
The Sharks will then compete at a tournament in Calgary from Sept. 15 to 17 before starting their regular season on the road against the Melville Prairie Fire on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Their home opener will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14 against the Saskatoon Stars at the Battleford Arena.
