The Red Deer Rival Hydrovac Snipers will plan in the North American Roller Hockey Championships this week in California. (Supplied)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

knucklepuck

Snipers ready for best of the best at roller hockey championships in California

Jul 17, 2019 | 8:46 PM

The competition will be stiff, but the Red Deer Rival Hydrovac Snipers inline hockey team believes it has what it takes to perform well at a tournament in California this week.

The event is called NARCh, or North American Roller Hockey Championships, and takes place July 14-21. The Snipers’ division (18U Platinum) doesn’t get underway until the 17th.

Manager Glen Carriere says making the trip is a special occasion for his players.

“One of the reasons we’re doing this is because it’s the boys’ last year they can play inline in Alberta,” he says. “We figured as it’s their last year, we’d want to go down there and give them one last chance to win the tournament.”

The Snipers don’t play in a league, but won both tournaments they entered this spring, including their own Battle on Wheels, and the Men’s Western Nationals where they played against adult teams.

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Cade Mason, a defenceman for the Snipers, is looking forward to giving it all he’s got.

“I am so happy to be going with all my friends and teammates that I grew up playing with,” he says.

“If we stick with our game plan and play a strong possession game, then we will be able to compete with any team. Most of those teams play year round, so we will be up against some really great teams. We just have to be very smart and stay disciplined.”

The team from Red Deer includes 12 players, all of whom are from the city with the exception of their goalie, who is from St. Albert.