The number of Cochrane players on the Jr. Female Cochrane Chaos has increased from one to four players as the team gets set for their home season opener tonight (Sept. 29).

The Chaos will be taking on the Calgary Warriors in Totem 1 of the SLS Family Sports Centre and hope to build upon their initial success last season in the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League (AJFHL). Game time is 7 p.m.

To kick off the season, the team has a special evening plan that involved players in Cochrane's female minor hockey division during intermissions as well as during the opening ceremonies. 

Including more rising talent from Cochrane was part of the game plan when the team landed here last season. Cochrane's Kyle Kruger is now in her second season with the club and is being joined on the 22-player roster by fellow local hockey players Summer Gibbons, Jenna Wasylik and Brette Matheson. There's also three players who have moved here from Red Deer to play.

Head coach Derek Loomer says he's impressed with how many local players made the team after cuts.

"I thought we would only get two but we got four," says Loomer. "We're pretty happy with that and I think they'll do very well this year."

The team had a successful preseason leading up to tonight's game and now it's time to find out how that stacks up in regular season action.

"I can't wait to get it started," says Loomer. "That first game is a little bit of a measuring stick of how it's going to play out this year. We get a chance to see what our girls can do in the real league when the games start to matter."

Building up to this game, the players were noticeably larger and fast in preseason matches, and Loomer confirms this.

"I ran out of small pant covers last year and this year I think I handed out two small pairs and I ran out of mediums and larges, so the girls are definitely bigger this year and faster."

The Chaos expect to have about 19 affiliates available to not only use as spares but to help establish connections for the future. They want to let the players know playing for the Chaos is an option available to them.

"We want to be sustainable," says Loomer. "We want to think long term, we want our team to be a success and we want our league to be successful. That's what our focus is as an organization."

Chaos graduating players will be participating in tonight's ceremonial puck drop and about 40 local female hockey players will accompany the junior players during the introductions. The local minor hockey players will also be scrimmaging during the intermissions.

There are nine teams in the AJFHL, four in the north and five in the south. The Chaos advanced to the south finals in their first season before losing to the Central Alberta Amazons. The Sherwood Park Steele are the league's defending champion.

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