A strong start to the season carried over into tournament play for the Rockyview Raiders.
The Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association team impressed as hosts of the 2017 Prospect Cup posting a perfect run through round-robin before being bounced in the semifinal round in the Nov. 9-12 tournament in Chestermere featuring 12 of the best Minor Midget club and school teams in Western Canada.
“It was great when we were winning in round-robin, there was usually quite a few fans in the stands which was good to see,” said Raiders centre Nathan Fox, one of 12 Okotoks players on the squad. “It’s really good for team bonding and it’s definitely a change of pace where you have to play a couple of games in a short period of time. It definitely puts your conditioning to the test.”
Rockyview was up for the challenge.
The Raiders dominated opposition in pool play to finish with a 3-0 mark in round-robin.
They kicked things off by blitzing the Saskatoon River Kings by a 6-2 score.
Kage Yellowfly paced the offence with a two-goal effort while Sam Simard, Kyle Bray, Hayden Schmidt and Owen George all scored in a balanced Raiders attack.
Game two saw more of the same as a Moe Hakim hat-trick led the Raiders to an 8-1 blowout over Prairie Hockey Academy.
Fox, Bray, Yellowfly, Ethan McKibbin and Daniel Tainton also found the back of the net in the triumph.
Rockyview completed pool play on top of its group by doubling up the PAC Saints 4-2.
McKibbin, Tainton, Max Kathol and Daxton Budd provided the offence.
“Using our speed and being creative in the offensive zone was big for us,” said Raiders defenceman Lucas Watkins.
The victory pushed the Raiders into a quarterfinal showdown with OHA Edmonton.
Kyle Newnham opened the scoring on a highlight reel breakaway marker only to have the visitors even the score on a powerplay goal late in the opening frame.
Simon Smith-Burness provided the dagger late in the third period followed by an empty netter from Yellowfly as the Raiders hung on for the 3-1 victory.
A familiar foe stood in their way in the semifinal in league and divisional rival the CBHA Rangers.
Calgary scored four unanswered in the middle frame and survived a Raiders surge to take the victory by a 6-4 score.
Kathol scored a pair while Simard and blueliner Alex Frank also lit the lamp.
The Prospects Cup championship went to the North Alberta Xtreme with the Rangers taking second.
The Rangers and Raiders, one and two respectively, in the Alberta Minor Midget Hockey League’s South Division standings, should be seeing plenty more of each other down the road.
“It was good to play other teams outside of our league and get a taste of other teams play like,” Watkins said. “It’s definitely different. The school teams are good at passing and are more gelled together than the club teams.”
Behind stellar goaltending from Gage Alexander and Logan Grant and a speed-oriented attack, the Raiders have just one loss in their first 10 games of the season.
“The fact we all knew each other definitely helps,” Fox said. “We had high expectations coming into the season, we thought we could be a dominant team throughout the year.
“We’re a really fast team and a lot of other teams they can’t skate with us and we definitely use that to our advantage as best we can, especially on the big ice in Chestermere.”
For more information on the Rockyview Raiders go to ooaaoilerhockey.ca
