It’s not just that Renna Trembecky takes the crease Sunday as only the second female goaltender to participate in the Circle K Classic.
It’s that she’s playing in a must-win game …
Against the star-studded defending champions of the annual under-18 AAA tournament.
Wow.
“Super exciting,” said the 17-year-old Trembecky, ahead of her start for the Sherwood Park Kings (1-1) against Shattuck-Saint Mary’s (2-0) at Seven Chiefs Sportsplex (6:45 p.m.). “Obviously, Shattuck is considered a favourite for this tournament. But I think we’ve got to go in there with the same mindset we have kind of had the whole tournament and just play our game and try and make something out of it.”
Her start and the game itself — especially given it’s win or bust to make the 16-team playoffs here for the Sherwood Park squad — is one of the biggest storylines of the tourney on Day 3 in Calgary …
What’s the story with Trembecky?
Like many other girls, she’s been playing hockey with the boys for years.
It’s just that few females make it to this level in the male puck ranks.
“It’s 100 per cent cool,” Trembecky said. “I’ve never played on an actual female team for a year — just done a few tournaments with them in the past. But that’s about it.
“It’s just kind of been the normal playing with the guys.
“It’s great to get the opportunities that I get,” continued the Sherwood Park native. “And to be able to be a part of a team like the Sherwood Park Kings and to be able to come to a prestigious tournament like the Circle K here is just phenomenal.”
Trembecky’s appearance here comes more than two decades after future Team Canada stalwart Shannon Szabados — then 15 — graced the event in 2001, also with the Kings.
So it’s no surprise the two kindred ’tending spirits have had conversations about what it means to be a girl playing high-level hockey with the guys.
“She’s very cool,” said Trembecky, of Szabados. “I just kind of reached out and told her that she’s definitely kind of an inspiration for me and someone I look up to very much — just from her background and where she played and what I’m trying to do, as well.
“She definitely touched base and just said if I have any questions or want to reach her or want to talk about anything moving forward, just please let her know.”
Moving forward, Trembecky would like to be talking to Szabados about what it takes to be a Team Canada ’tender.
“It’d be very cool to play on Team Canada and represent my country one day,” added Trembecky, who hasn’t yet attended any Hockey Canada camps. “That’s definitely been in thought. I mean … I do also have aspirations to play NCAA hockey with the girls. But also, it’d be cool to play with the guys — maybe get a game in the AJHL or even the WHL one day, too.”
How do the Kings support Trembecky?
Kings head coach Stacey Rayan says Trembecky is considered just like one of the guys.
He says the challenge of her situation is really only that she’s a small goalie, standing just 5-foot-4.
But at that, adds Rayan, she protects the net well, backed up by her stats — a 6-3-1 record, 2.34 goals-against average and 0.928 save percentage in Alberta Elite Hockey League action.
“Even though she might be small in stature competing at a high level, she’s a very good goalie,” said Rayan, who also coached Trembecky with the U17 AAA Kings last year. “She’s a very good skater. She moves post-to-post very well. Even though people say probably shoot high on her, she’s pretty quick up top, too.”
She’ll have to be that and more Sunday against Shattuck, who have manufactured 17 goals and 108 shots through the first two games of this year’s Circle K Classic.
It’s a team that constantly buzzes the net — and fills it, too.
“Sometimes when you play teams like that and we’re such heavy underdogs, your team maybe plays a little bit differently in front of your goalie, right?” added Rayan. “They put in that effort and they put in the work to insulate her a little bit, knowing that Shattuck has a high-powered offence that can strike at any point in time.
“But I mean, let’s not discard Renna. She’s here for a reason — she made our team.”
What happened on Saturday’s Day 2?
• Kings returning starter Connor Knorr, who leads the AEHL’s U18 AAA ranks with 1.78 GAA and .941 save-percentage marks, saw too much of the hard-on-the-puck Calgary International Hockey Academy in a 5-2 loss to drop the Sherwood Park squad in its must-win position.
• Minnesota’s Shattuck-Saint Mary’s (2-0) got an early scare, falling behind two goals before doubling up B.C.’s Valley West Giants (0-2) 8-4. At one point, Shattuck was out-shooting the Greater Vancouver club 29-5 but trailed 2-0. Alex Donovan tallied three goals and three assists in the victory that secures the reigning champs a spot in the playoff round.
• Also earning playoff berths after the second day of round-robin action are: Edge School (2-0), after a 6-2 dump of B.C.’s Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (0-2); Northern Alberta Extreme (2-0), after a 2-1 win over the co-host Calgary Buffaloes (1-1); the Airdrie CFR Bisons (2-0), after a 5-2 triumph over the St. Louis AAA Blues (1-1); New York’s Bishop Kearney Selects (2-0), after a 4-1 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors (1-1); Edmonton Jr Oilers Blue (2-0), after a 4-2 victory over Chicago Mission (0-2); and the Halifax MacDonalds (2-0), after a 2-0 shutout of the Calgary NW Flames (1-1).
• Another game involving a local squad saw the co-host Calgary Northstars (0-2) fall 4-1 to OHA Penticton (1-1).
• Also Saturday, it was: RHA Kelowna 6, Edmonton Jr Oilers Orange 2; Pittsburgh Pens Elite 4, Team Hungary 0; Burnaby Winter Club 5, Boston Academy 3; Regina Pat Canadians 3, OHA Edmonton 0; B.C.’s Cariboo Cougars 3, Detroit Victory Honda 0; Phoenix Jr Coyotes 4, Calgary Royals 2; Sioux Falls POWER 6, Okotoks Bowmark Oilers 3.
What to watch on Sunday’s Day 3
(see Sunday’s Day 3 Schedule for game-times and locations)
• The co-host Flames need an early victory over Burnaby (1-1) to advance to the 16-team championship-side playoffs.
• Maddox Schultz, the 14-year-old phenom, and the Pat Canadians play last year’s finalists, the Coyotes (1-0), in early afternoon action.
• The co-host Buffaloes need a late afternoon win the Pittsburgh Pens Elite (1-1) to advance to the playoff round.
• CIHA hopes to advance to the 16-team playoff in only its first year at The Circle K with an evening win over the Giants.
Sunday’s Day 3 Schedule
Morning
Edmonton Jr Oilers Blue v. Edge School, Max Bell 2, 10 a.m.
Halifax Mac’s v. Boston Academy, 7 Chiefs 2, 10 a.m.
Fraser Valley Thunderbirds v. Chicago Mission, 7 Chiefs 1, 10:30 a.m.
BWC Academy v. Calgary NW Flames, Max Bell 1, 10:30 a.m.
Afternoon
Sioux Falls POWER v. Detroit Victory Honda, Max Bell 2, 12:45 p.m.
Regina Pat Canadians v. Phoenix Jr Coyotes, 7 Chiefs 2, 12:45 p.m.
Cariboo Cougars v. Okotoks Bowmark Oilers, Max Bell 1, 1:15 p.m.
OHA Edmonton v. Calgary Buffaloes, 7 Chiefs 1, 1:15 p.m.
Late afternoon
Pittsburgh Pens Elite v. Calgary Buffaloes, Max Bell 2, 3:30 p.m.
RHA Kelowna v. Airdrie CFR Bisons, 7 Chiefs 2, 3:30 p.m.
Northern Alberta Xtreme v. Team Hungary, Max Bell 1, 4 p.m.
Edmonton Jr Oilers Orange v. St. Louis Blues, 7 Chiefs 1, 4 p.m.
Evening
Moose Jaw Warriors v. Calgary Northstars, Max Bell 2, 6:15 p.m.
CIHA v. Valley West Giants, 7 Chiefs 2, 6:15 p.m.
Bishop Kearney Selects v. OHA Penticton, Max Bell 1, 6:45 p.m.
Sherwood Park Kings v. Shattuck-Saint Mary’s, 7 Chiefs 1, 6:45 p.m.
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