Expectations were high for the Mallaig girls’ handball team, as the defending provincial champions, but the girls stepped up to the challenge and would reclaim the banner after a hard weekend of play in Lacombe.
“They’re amazing athletes and that’s really all there is to it,” said handball coach Ian MacGillivray, on the key to the team’s success. “They’re dedicated, they’re very fit, and their level of fitness and endurance has been crucial. When other teams get tired, the girls just keep running and it paid off for them in the end.”
“They’re great at what they do, and they’re passionate about it.”
The girls won their first two games to finish at the top of their pool, advancing to the semifinal as well. The Bentley School Panthers gave them a challenge in the semifinal, but Mallaig came out on top.
The girls struggled defensively in the first half of their final game against Old Scona from Edmonton. But the team rallied together and played a flawless second half, allowing only six goals,and came out on top once again to be crowned provincial champions for the second year in a row— the perfect end to a great season.
The Mallaig boys handball teams also would advance to provincials from zones. The team, which, like the girls team, includes players from St. Paul Regional High School and Glendon School, would end up in a three-team tie for second place in its pool and would play against Notre Dame High School in the semifinals.
“Our game against Notre Dame was incredibly close,” said MacGillivray, who coaches both the boys and girls. “We played really well, but just couldn’t quite hold out until the end. The final score was 28-26, which is pretty close in a handball game.”
“Each of the games that the boys played were very close— all within a couple of goals—and any of probably five or six teams could have been the provincial champions. They played well, but things just didn’t quite swing our way.”
After falling to Notre Dame, Mallaig played later that same day and finished the tournament in fourth place overall.
Both teams have a number of graduating players, and so things could look a little different next season, he notes. Two players from the girls team will be moving on, but the team will continue to have a strong lineup of Grade 10 and 11 students. The boys, on the other hand, will be losing seven players and will be looking to rebuild some strength.
“As long as we can come together as a team, we can win. We win as a team and we lose as a team, and that’s the way it has to be,” said MacGillivray.
