The Parkland Bantam Lions girls hockey team, members of the Â鶹´«Ã½AV Saskatchewan Female Hockey League (SSFHL) are getting ready to drop the puck on the 2014-15 season. The Lions, based out of Springside and Churchbridge, open their regular season in Churchbridge Sunday, Oct. 19 at 1:00 pm against the Regina Blues. In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Lions will don pink jerseys and will donate the proceeds from admissions to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
The Lions are looking to improve on a 3rd place finish in the SSFHL and a trip to the Provincial Finals in 2013-14. "We have a good core of returning players," said Lions coach Chad Holinaty. "We return 10 players from last season, and have added some new skaters who will definitely give us strong depth. We might take some time to work out our line combinations and systems, but one thing we do expect to bring is a high compete level." Coach Dean Shyiak points to the work the team has done off the ice this Fall to prepare them for the season. "On our exit surveys last year, one of the areas girls highlighted to improve on was our team fitness level. In addition to the work girls have done individually to prepare for the season, we started off-ice conditioning sessions to try to get us ready to play at the tempo we want to set." The Lions' first game action came Oct. 5 when the team travelled to Dauphin for an exhibition game. Coach Kim Pennell said, "It was a good chance to see the girls compete. We ended up in a 2-2 tie. It was a pretty good game pace, and showed us that we are on track to start the season well."
The Lions will play a total of 22 league games, with teams from Regina, Weyburn, Moose Jaw, Estevan, Wood River, and Swift Current in the league. "Most games take place on weekends and involve a fair bit of travel for the girls," stated Coach Jason Gordon. "The girls get to spend a lot of time together and build some strong friendships on and off the ice. One of the best parts of the girls hockey program is the whole experience girls get to be part of. With girls from Yorkton, Kamsack, Melville, Churchbridge, Ituna, Sturgis, Esterhazy, Preeceville, Foam Lake, Springside, and Bredenbury, we draw from a large area. Thanks to the commitment of the kids and parents, we're able to offer a quality Bantam Girls program for the Parkland area. Last year, the girls had a lot of fun off the ice and success on the ice, and we're looking forward to another great year for the Lions."
Follow the Lions on Twitter at @ParklandLions
