WOLFVILLE, N.S. – Team Nova Scotia’s ringette squad has a better idea of what they’ll be facing at the next Canada Winter Games following a weekend of topnotch tournament play at Acadia.
The Wolfville-based university was selected as the host site for a national Coast 2 Coast Ringette Challenge. The eight-team Canada Games prep tournament, including entries from British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Manitoba and PEI, was held the weekend of Aug. 4-5.
Team Nova Scotia lost three games and won two, but coach Tracey Tulloch was pleased to see most of the matches decided by a single point. To her, that means Nova Scotia’s Canada Games entry will have what it takes to rise to the challenge in Red Deer, Alta. in February 2019.
“All of our games were very close,” she said in a brief phone interview Aug. 5.
The highlight for Team Nova Scotia, she added, was beating defending Canada Games champions Team Manitoba. Manitoba did, however, eventually advance to the final against Alberta.
“The girls were very excited.”
Team Nova Scotia’s final roster has yet to be selected. Their next tournament of this caliber will be hosted by Team Manitoba during Thanksgiving weekend.
“This event was perfect to be able to see all of the kids at the level that we’re going to be playing at, opposed to just trying to simulate that situation,” said Tulloch.
“They now know what we need to work on.”
Tulloch was pleased with the turnout at the tournament, and the convenience of hosting the event at a place that offered full accommodations for the visiting athletes. She added that Acadia hockey coach Darren Burns had good things to say about the games underway when he visited the rink.
“It’s always a great thing when we introduce people to our sport… they’re always really impressed with how fast the gameplay is and how much finesse the players have.”
