The Cochrane Chaos got a little redemption from losing the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League (AJFHL) championship by winning the Western Showcase hosted by Cochrane, Apr. 6-7. But it may not have happened at all if not for a late-game comeback against the Sherwood Park Steele in the semifinals.

The Chaos were down 3-1 against the formidable Steele and looked destined to lose before being sparked but two, 6-on-4 goals late in the game to tie the score 3-3 and send the match into a shootout. Goalie Megan Parkyn shut down the Steele in the shootout and the Chaos scored on two of three attempts to advance.

Shelby Kirkpatrick's short-handed goal with 3:18 remaining in play seemed to lift the spirits of the club and Kierra Scollo, a Red Deer player skating for the Chaos in the tournament, forced the shootout with 1:45 remaining in play. Both times the Chaos pulled their goalie to capitalize on a Steele penalty in an otherwise solid outing by Steele goaltender Alyshah Beutler and their defensive squad that has continually stymied the best offenses all season. 

Chaos Head Coach Derek Loomer says is the game that players will remember best from their final weekend of play of the season. Down 2-1 heading into the third, the team had a little heart and soul in the dressing room.

"We asked, 'Is this is how you want to remember it?' So we actually went through that and came out and had that exciting finish. What a great thing to remember about your last game of the season, so that's a great consolation. And beating Sherwood Park to do it too, right, they owed us one."

The Chaos were playing catchup against the Titans in the final, who grabbed an early 1-0 lead. By the end of two, it was tied 2-2 and it all came down to the final period of play.

Cochrane's Summer Gibbons put the Chaos ahead and Emily Straw, a rising midget player, gave them a 4-2 lead. The Titans fought back and made it a one-goal game and that's how it ended, 4-3.

It's a consolation of sorts for the Chaos who have had a stellar second season in the AJFHL. Still, the Steele were short five players from their regular roster and had an additional two players unable to dress for the semifinal matchup. Instead, they had several potential players showcasing their skills.

"They had a lot of prospects and still played fantastically," says Loomer. "I was impressed with how their younger girls played and they'll have another great team next year."

He also praises the volunteers for making the showcase possible and to the vendors who came out for the Saturday marketplace. It's the first time it has been staged in southern Alberta. 

Eight teams participated and were divided into two pools. The Titans and Chaos came out of the round-robin undefeated. It also featured the Manitoba Gray Owls, who host a tournament of their own in February. The Steele won that tournament this year.

Showcasing the quality play of the league and giving prospects ice time is a big part of the tournament, explains league president Craig Sparrow, who's been involved with the league for eight years and was one of the founders of the Calgary Titans. He says most teams had midget players on their rosters for the Showcase so they get a chance to experience what the AJFHL offers when they age out of minor hockey.

"What Hockey Alberta has allowed us to do is to have rep team from the north midget ranks and south midget ranks to give the girls aging out of midget or in their last years of midget a sense of what the league is all about. It helps grow the league and makes sure it gets more notice from minor hockey associations."

"We have had scouts from universities come out in the past and I know a couple of girls that we're going to play for my team but they got picked because they had this opportunity to show off their talents."

Sparrow became involved with the league when his two daughters were aging out of midget hockey and left with no place to play at a higher level. There is the option of CIS and NCAA for many players but for some it's not a fit and for others it's a larger time commitment than they prefer.

"It's not necessarily for all the girls who get NCAA or CIS scholarships, for instances, but for a lot of girls who don't want to have that kind of commitment or prefer to focus on their school and that sort of thing it's a little less demanding."

The AJFHL is nine years old and gaining more attention each year.

"The calibre every single year has gotten better and not just by a little bit. It's reached the point where now even the good quality players are taking us seriously. They know this isn't an easy league to come into."

Because they are allowed to carry four overage juniors it gives the players a chance to emulate the university experience.

"The quality is pretty close. We've had a couple of players go to the CIS and we've had a couple of players who have felt university wasn't necessarily for them and they've come back to us. It's a really nice niche that way and it's one of the reasons I'm still doing it. Every year by about the end of July I get calls and emails from players asking about the tryouts and it makes it hard to leave. It's a real labour of love and I just don't have the heart to leave."

The Chaos aren't quite done for the season. They have their spring camp here Apr. 27-28.

"That's when we'll have our prospects out and we'll start to sort out who's going to come to our fall camp and then we'll start to whittle down from there for our roster for next season."

They have been regularly scouting potential players and have a few on their radar. While goalie Megan Parkyn has aged out, other players have indicated they won't be turning next season.