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Local ball hockey players gearing up for National Championships

Jul 25, 2017 | 3:57 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Six junior ball hockey players, representing the Gas City Ball Hockey league and the Hat Ball Hockey League, are setting their sights on a national title this week.

The 2017 Canadian Junior National Championships run from July 26-30 in Kitchener, Ontario, and there is no shortage of Hat talent making the trip.

Ryoma Hernandez, fresh off an invite to join Team Alberta at the Western Challenge Cup, is the lone Gas City product in the U15 bracket. 

In the U17 division, Austin Klimosko and Wyatt Slobodin are also flying out in hopes of tasting national gold.

Three players from the men’s Hat Ball Hockey League are also on route to Ontario in the U19 bracket. Andrew Carmichael is looking to build off his gold medal performance at the U18 World Ball Hockey Championships last summer. His teammate, Nathan Thokle, is returning to the national stage in hopes of bettering his B-gold from last year.

Medicine Hat’s Derek Bjerke rounds out an impressive local group helping construct Team Alberta’s U19 squad.

CHAT TV Sports spoke with Carmichael, Thokle, and Hernandez to hear their thoughts on representing the province, and how playing well at nationals could land the older players a spot on the U20 Canadian Team for next year’s World Ball Hockey Championships.