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The Airdrie Lightning team has returned home with a gold record to show from their divisional win at the Pred Girls Classic in Nashville, TN.
The Lighting bounced back from a 5-4 loss to a Nashville Jr. Predators team in their opening game to go undefeated through the rest of the tournament.
That included two wins against a Chicago Hawks team that's ranked eighth in the United States. They beat them in 3-2 in a shoot-out during the round robin, and 1-0 in the final.
"They're a phenomenal team," says Lightning coach Abby Laporte. "They've only lost three games all year, so to get two wins against them was massive for us, and our girls played their best hockey yet. They are the best team we've played all year, so kudos to them. They were great competition."
Laporte used her connections to allow the team to compete internationally.
"We had an absolute blast," she says. "It was a goal of mine for these young ladies to experience something new when you travel internationally for hockey. It started a bit rocky with the first game, but the girls regrouped and they played their best hockey. The memories will last a lifetime. The team line dancing, the nights on Broadway, those are the things they'll remember forever."
Several of the players also attended a Nashville Predators game the night before hitting the ice to prepare for the tournament.
"It was a pretty packed crowd," she says. "You know they love their Predators here."
She says not too many people in Nashville knew girls played hockey.
"A lot of people, we were told, we're very put off by it and shocked, but it's phenomenal for our girls to make a mark, be the only Canadian team here, and take home the win."
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The Lightning are back in action this weekend in the U18 AA Alberta Female Hockey League. They have six games remaining before playoffs are are determined to advance to provincials.
"I think it will set us up very nicely for the remainder of the season if we can transfer what we did here. We're in a very competitive league, but I think the confidence that these young ladies now have in knowing they have beaten the #8 team in the USA out of over 100-ranked teams is phenomenal for them.
"Hopefully, they take their confidence from this massive win, clinch that provincial spot, and go all the way."
Five of the team's players nurtured their skills with the Cochrane Jr. Chaos. Brynn Makkreel, Kassy Davidson, Holly Bremner, and Lila Larribeau are all from Cochrane and Jacqueline Bicek is from Canmore.