The Lloydminster Steelers might not be as experienced as last year’s national championship host team, but the newest edition is still performing well early in the U18 AAA girls’ hockey season.
Read more: U18 AAA Steelers record two road victories
On home ice Saturday night, the Steelers defeated Calgary Fire Black 3-1 to post Lloydminster’s third consecutive victory in Alberta Female Hockey League play and its eighth win in a row overall, including a perfect 5-0 performance in the Canadian Crown tournament at Devon.
“Our effort is unbelievable, with this group of girls,” said Skylar Heinrichs, the Steelers’ hometown captain.
“I know everyone knows that we’re kind of rebuilding our team and we’ve got a lot of new people to the league. But we’re on an eight-game heater right now, including our tournament. From our home-opener to now, our growth has been really good.”
The Steelers — 3-2 in league action — haven’t lost since opening their regular season with a pair of defeats on the first weekend of October.
“After that, we’ve really grinded at practice,” said Heinrichs, a 17-year-old forward and a Grade 12 student at Lloydminster Comprehensive High School.
“In the Crown tournament, we really just clicked altogether. We figured out our systems and had lots of talks with our coaches. They really pushed us. All the little details really came together there.”
Likewise in league action the past couple of weekends. Saturday’s game was the Steelers’ second 3-1 victory over Calgary Fire Black in as many weekends.
Heinrichs wristed her team-leading sixth goal of the season in the second period to cap all scoring and snuff the Fire’s comeback efforts at the Co-op Community Arena. The Steelers normally play next door in the main rink at the Cenovus Energy Hub complex.
“So nice,” Heinrichs said outside the team’s customized dressing room. “We’re really, really lucky with our room, and we’re really grateful that we have everything.”
CIVIC CENTRE MEMORIES
Heinrichs was a big part of the Steelers’ magical run in the closing act at the Centennial Civic Centre last April, scoring clutch goals as they pushed their way to the semifinals of the Esso Cup national championship tournament, before losing 1-0 in overtime to the eventual-champion Edmonton Junior Oilers.
Although the Steelers’ previous home rink was the Servus Sports Centre, the Civic holds special memories for the likes of Heinrichs, even beyond the Esso Cup.
“It’s kind of sad that it’s never going to come back again,” she said of the venerable rink. “Our team watched a lot of games there, like the Bobcats and the Lancers. It’s sad that we don’t get to be there, but it’s really nice that we all get to be under one roof now.”
The Steelers are playing like a team all on the same page. Heinrichs believes that chemistry is a byproduct of early-morning practices and strong leadership from the half-dozen returning players, four of whom comprise the captaincy group.
“I think our leadership group is doing a really good job,” said Heinrichs, whose assistant captains are Alivia Foster, Jamie Hensch and Esme Loney. “We really lead by example. We try to keep everyone hyped and positive.
“We practise early every morning — I know it can get hard — but I think our leadership group does a really good job of bringing everyone in. It’s a drama-free team and we all really come together. I’ve never been on a team that loves each other as much as this one.”
UNIVERSITY HOCKEY PLANS
The recent results reflect the Steelers’ intense training, including 7:15 a.m. practices most weekday mornings. Not to mention running the stairs at 6:30 each Tuesday.
Heinrichs is also climbing the ranks hockey-wise. Last year, while in Grade 11, she committed to Calgary’s Mount Royal University, where she’ll play U Sports hockey with the Cougars.
“Very excited,” she said about those post-secondary plans. “When I toured the school, it just felt like home. I loved the coach (and) I loved the area. I’m close enough so I can come home (occasionally). Also, the team is really good and I’m really excited to play there next year.”
In their latest victory, the Steelers also got goals from returning forward Sydney Klebanosky and rookie Ryley Schierman, whose first at the U18 AAA level proved to be the winner.
Natalia Zabinsky scored the lone Calgary goal against Sloane Schaab, who made 12 saves in the Lloydminster net. The Steelers fired 34 shots at Teah Mah-Fifi.
In a scheduling change, the Steelers aren’t headed to Calgary on Nov. 1 to play Fire Red. Instead, it’s a weekend off for Lloydminster, which continues a five-game homestand Nov. 7 when the Sherwood Park Reign visit the Hub.
Sherwood Park improved its record to 1-1 with Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Calgary Fire Black (2-4-1).
CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT
During the Steelers’ unbeaten run at the Crown tournament in mid-October, the sophomore Foster scored two goals and set up another as Lloydminster defeated the Swift Current Wildcats 5-2 for Lloyd’s fifth win in four days.
The Steelers also beat the Yellowhead Chiefs 4-1, the Weyburn Gold Wings 6-3, Northern Alberta Xtreme 3-0 and the Regina Rebels 2-0.
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