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M.L. youths participate in European hockey tournaments

Aug 8, 2018 | 4:54 PM

It’s not every day athletes from Saskatchewan get to participate in their favourite sport in four different countries, but recently, three Meadow Lake hockey players were part of special team which played tournaments in Europe.

Bantam-level players Triston Mirasty, Chester Berlin, and Easton DeBray were a part of the Northern Rage team, an under-16 squad which travelled to Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria and Germany. They played in two tournaments called the Moravia Cup and the Czech Cup, winning bronze in the first and gold in the second.

Easton said it was a unique experience to be able to play against European athletes.

“To go play in Europe, and being able to play because there are other kids that would want to be in your spot, that’s pretty cool,” he said. “And also we get to see what the hockey calibre is in Europe.”

His father Clay also travelled with the team, and said he was proud of the two Canadian squads who were top in the Czech tournament, with the other team hailing from Alberta.

“That was quite emotional,” Clay said. “So it was Saskatchewan versus Alberta in the final, so that was special.”

On top of a busy hockey schedule, the group also got to visit various tourist attractions, check out amusement parks, salt mines, and watch a professional soccer game among several other activities.

“It was overall a good experience, and as a team, we got to bond together,” Easton said. “We got to go over there and win, which we did.”

 

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath