AAA Sharks season preview: speed should pay dividends

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In the second week of September, the Sharks travelled to Calgary for a pre-season tune up tournament against some of the best teams in Western Canada.

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They went 1-2-1, defeating the Thompson Okanagan Lakers 9-2, tying the Edmonton Pandas 2-2, and falling to the Calgary Fire 3-2 and Red Deer Chiefs 3-0.

The team will be led by captain Keara Amson, who committed to Nipissing University last week, and assistants Ali Aitken, Ensley Fendelet, and Maya Tupper.

There are also nine new faces, which includes a mix of young and old.

Seventeen-year-old Cassidy Carlson joins the team on defence, and although she wasn’t on the team last season, she played for the Sharks in 2015-16 and for the Prince Albert Northern Bears before that.

“[With] Tupper and Carlson on defence, it really helps to have some Grade 12 players that can impact the game,” Berggren said.

New to the defence are youngsters Madison Glynn and Kalli Hiebert, both born in 2003, and Kate Zemlak, a 2002-born defender.

Up front, twin sisters Brooklyn and Sydney Rowly are also new, as is 17-year-old Celena Kissick and 14-year-old Logan Halter.

In goal, Chloe Burt returns, but she is joined in the crease by a new face in 15-year-old Haylie Biever, who, like Burt, made the final Sask First U-16 female roster, along with teammate Aitken.

“I think this year the players have bought in to the fact that you have to work hard in this league to be successful,” Berggren said of his new group. “So far in the games that we’ve played and the practices that we’ve had, it’s definitely evident that the players are willing to put in the work this year.

“The toughest thing to do in this league is score and I think this year we have the players that can do that.”

Are there any weaknesses so far?

“I don’t know until we start playing some games and see how things are going,” Berggren said. “In Calgary, we’re competing against some of the best teams in western canada and obviously there were things that we need to improve on, but at this time of the year I think every team does.”

The Sharks have a double-header with Melville on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. The following weekend they play the defending champion Prince Albert Northern Bears before their home opener on Oct. 14 against the Saskatoon Stars.

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NathanKanter11