Key Takeaways:
- In the final game of a three-game weekend series, the Saskatchewan Heat took on the Calgary Rath on Sunday.
- The Calgary Rath are two-time defending league champions, with a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19’s cancellation.
On Sunday, the Saskatchewan Heat faced the Calgary Rath in the final game of a three-game weekend series.
Since September, the Heat have been a member of the National Ringette League (NRL). It’s the first time in ten years that a Saskatchewan team has joined the NRL.
The team is currently in the bottom half of the league standings, but head coach Colleen Butz-Purdue claims that the team is rapidly improving.
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“We knew it was going to be a long journey ahead of us. We expected it to be difficult. “The National Ringette League is not easy; it is our premier league in this sport, and we have a ton of work ahead of us, but the reward at the end will be well worth it,” Butz-Purdue stated.
Formerly known as the Wild, the team features veteran player Mel Brockman, who was a member of Team Canada and the Wild.
Many of the players, however, are young and eager to learn.
“We’ll just focus on the minor details.” “It’s catching passes, making checks, and making sure we’re open,” center Madison Ryan explained.
The Calgary Rath are two-time defending league champions, with a two-season gap due to the cancellation of COVID-19.
Sam Skaar, a Regina native, said their young team maintained a positive attitude. In the first half, she helped the Rath to a two-goal lead.
“Everyone was just so eager to get going.” “We were really pleased with the first period and just wanted to carry that momentum into the second half,” Skaar said.
The Heat was defeated 7-2 by Calgary, but Butz-Purdue believes the loss is still a win and that her team will persevere.
“We’ll take what we did well here and carry it forward to the next game; just keep fighting.” Saskatchewan is fighting us. We’ll always be at odds.”
Saskatchewan will have another chance to face the Calgary Rath when they return to Winnipeg on March 12 for their next set of games.
Source: Global News
