The Jr. Women's Silvertip team season is off and running after games on the road against last season's top two teams.

The Silvertips faced last year's league champs, the Sherwood Park Titans, before challenging the Capital Region Saints, silver medalists,  over the weekend and gave a strong performance despite their short bench. Easter break took its toll on the numbers but they'll have more hands on deck this Wednesday against the Calgary Axemen.

While the Silvertips fell to the Titans, 9-1, the team saw a ray of light in the huge amount of raw potential in their players. Highlights included the play of rookie goalie Payton Gammon, of Canmore, was with  the Rockyview Rage last season. She made over 40 saves in the outing. The Silvertips sole goal came from Samantha Mathews on a penalty shot.

Despite losing 12-5, the Silvertips never gave up in their uphill battle against the Saints the following day. Twenty seconds into the game, the Silvertips' Christina Olver lit the scoreboard in what would their only goal until the third period. She was assisted by Jaimie Betterton and rockie Lauren Murphy. Four times they ruffled the mesh in the third with two goals by rockie Kara Kondrat and singles from Jaimie Betterton and Zoe Baergen. Assists went to Christina Olver, Annie Morrison (2), Lauren Murphy, Erin Reenan and Kim Stainthrope.

Goalie Mikayla Miller faced 72 shots in a game that saw the Silvertips take 19 minutes in penalties, compared to nine by the Saints, leading to five short-handed goals.

"It was a tough physical game, but everything is coming together," says team manager Heather Greenan.

In last year's inaugural season in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League, the team finished fourth in the seven-team league and continues to attract players from Cochrane, Airdrie, Strathmore, Three Hills and Calgary.

Cochrane has doubled the number of players on the roster to 10 players from five last season, says Greenan. 

"I think all the coaches have the agreed that the team looks even stronger than they did at the start of the season last year.," says Greenan. "We have a lot of really strong athletes that play sports year-round and it really shows in the level skill and the intensity that we've seen so far in the practises and the camps that we've put on so far.

The players had been preparing since mid-March and they expect to see the team grow stronger as the season progresses.

"Talent wise, the bench is getting deeper," says assistant coach Ron Greenan. "We have lots of good athletes and with experience they will improve and improve and improve."

The Silvertips will be the visiting club for the better part of the first half of the season and play their home opener at Airdrie's Plainsman Arena on June 2. Five of their last six games are at home and playoffs start after June 25.