The Ecole Mallaig School boys and girls handball teams wrapped up a strong season with an appearance at the Tier 2 Team Handball Provincial Championships this past Thursday to Saturday at Blessed Sacrament School in Wainright.
While neither team was able to earn a top place finish, the victory comes from earning a berth at this elite competition.
“It really was a great season,” says head coach Ian MacGillvary. “Our school did not have a team last year, and of the students on our team only one boy and three girls had played handball before. I think they improved tremendously over one season. I am looking forward to next year.”
MacGillvary estimates that there could be seven players from both the boys and girls teams that will return for the 2016 season.
The boys finished in fourth place out of eight teams. After the round robin portion of the tournament, the Mallaig Tigers was in second place in pool D with a 2-1 record. It posted a 23-16 win over Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy from Canmore, and a 33-20 triumph over the host team, the Blessed Sacrament Thunder. The lone loss came to the Edmonton school Old Scona Academic by a 22-15 score.
This set up a semifinal with the Mayerthorpe High School Tigers. The eventual tournament champions downed Mallaig 39-23. The loss dropped Mallaig to the bronze medal game. The Tigers narrowly lost to the Central High Rams of Sedgewick 23-21.
The girls finished in sixth place. The round robin portion saw the Tigers post a 1-2 record. They posted a dominant 20-4 win over Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy, but fell to Old Scona Academic 24-16, and the Bentley School Panthers 22-12.
After round robin play was complete, the girls were placed in the consolation game for fifth place against the Mayerthorpe High School Tigers. Mallaig fell 22-16 in the game.
