A familiar fighting spirit should define a re-energized Raider nation this season.
The Rocky Mountain Bantam Elite Raiders charge into the Alberta Female Hockey League 2019-20 campaign optimistic with a balanced group of veterans rookies owning championship experience at lower levels.
“It’s just the energy level and the closeness of them,” said Bantam Raiders head coach Terry Larson. “Last year we were a lot further apart, from top-to-bottom and this year we’re a lot closer.
“We have good vets that have come back this year helping us out and the rookies coming in, the Bantam A’s that came in were very well coached last year so they came in with a lot of the skills we needed.”
Most of that veteran leadership is on the back-end with the second-year trio of Chloe Kinghorn, Jordynne Hojnocki and Kylie Soloveoff.
“I feel like we’re all really close,” said Kinghorn, an alternate captain. “We all get along so well, it’s a great group of girls.
“As a rookie it’s kind of scary sometimes being in a whole new environment, but this year we can really lead them and help them out. It helps with us leading with example, just showing them the pace and how hard we should be working.”
The forward group is led by Reilly Crowson, the unanimous choice as team captain.
“Last year some of us weren’t as close and I feel like we have more chemistry this year,” said Crowson, one of five second-year Raiders. “Which makes it easier on the ice to know where each other is, it’s better.
“It’s very different (being vets) because we just know what it’s like and we can keep up with the pace now because it was harder last year. And a lot of the girls look up to us now.”
It’s a clean slate in goal for the Bantam Elite squad with the tandem of Hannah Saunders and Kennadi Crook tending the last line of defence.
“Kennadi last year didn’t make the team, but she went to Lethbridge, played there and got a lot of really good experience there … she’s stepping in and playing really well,” Larson said. “And Hannah, was so close last year to making our goalie staff, but she went back to that Bantam A team that was so successful and now she’s bringing that here.”
This Raiders group is one used to winning with several players on the roster owning provincial championships at the Atom and Peewee level with Okotoks.
It’s something the coaching staff have certainly picked up on in the early going.
“We noticed it because when they came into the camp this year to tryout they stepped up,” Larson said. “And a lot of that comes from the confidence of year’s past. Of course, this is a totally different level of hockey, once you get to that Elite it’s a lot tougher, a lot closer checking.
“They have to almost go from where they could go end to end to where they’re making those plays and dragging the pressure with them.”
Rocky Mountain opened its season with a 5-0 loss on the road to Red Deer followed by a 3-2 shootout defeat to the Calgary Fire in a nailbiter on Oct. 20 at the Scott Seaman Sports Rink.
After narrowly missing out on the playoff picture in 2018-19, the Raiders should be right in the thick of the things this go around.
“Right now, we take it game by game, but we’ve got a really good hard working squad,” Larson said. “We’ve got four lines that will go out and battle hard and this is Raider nation.
“The one thing I’ve always found about this zone is they never give up, they always go out and work hard, they battle hard, it’s kind of just a thing here where players play like that.
“The expectation for us is to go a long way.”
