Review staff:
A Bentley-trained female hockey player will be representing Alberta at the national championships to be played this November in Napanee, Ontario.
Rylee Scott, who has a long pedigree in hockey circles in Bentley, was selected from an original group of 160 hopefuls which has been pared down to 20 for the championships. “I come from a hockey family, my three brothers all played in Bentley as well to start off,” she said. “My dad also grew up around here, playing in Bentley. My hockey experience in Bentley was a great; we had lots of fun, which created lots of memories. The coaches were a big part in this because if it wasn’t fun, I most likely wouldn’t have pursued my hockey further.”
Scott began her hockey career in 2000 with the Bentley female Atom team and remained until her first year of Midget when she cracked the Triple “A” Midget female team in Red Deer.
From there, Scott was invited to the Under 18 Provincial Camp held in July, which after a few more cuts, included playing games against the Japan National Team. After excelling in the camp, Scott was selected to join Team Alberta.
Coaching that team is Howie Draper who also coaches the University of Alberta (U of A) Pandas women’s hockey team and someone she just may end up getting a lot more familiar with in the near future.
“Rylee’s a good two-way centre with a strong offensive upside. She thinks the game at a high level and is outstanding at the face-off dot,” Draper said of Scott. “Without question, Rylee will be moving on to the university or college level. In fact, all of the girls that play for Team Alberta typically have the skills to move to the next level.”
If all goes according to plan, that’s exactly where Scott, who currently attends the Bentley high School, would like to end up.
“After high school I’m thinking of taking Athletic Therapy, I can take this course at the University of Calgary or else the U of A,” she said. “I am also considering going down to the United States as I have had some offers on scholarships. Wherever I choose to attend, I want to be able to play hockey.”
As for representing the province in the national championships, Scott sees it both as an honour and a possible steppingstone to bigger and better things.
“For the tournament in November, I am really excited as it’s a one-time opportunity for me. This is going to be a really big step going into a national level, something that is a bit overwhelming as it is such an honour to represent Alberta and hopefully, do well. I haven’t really thought much about the tournament as there is a lot of focus in Red Deer as we are starting to get going with league play,” she said.
“My preparation so far is just to be in the best shape going into the tournament so I can play to my expectation. It will also be very key to be mentally prepared and to be eating healthy so my body is ready play.”
Also making the final provincial squad is teammate Katie Allan of Red Deer and along with Scott, are the only two players from central Alberta.