What happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas for the U15 T1 Cochrane Rockies.

The Rockies won their division of the international Las Vegas Jr. Knights MLK Tournament in mid-January and have been unstoppable since then, leading to a provincial crown in La Crete, Mar. 24 to 26.

Cochrane was undefeated in the preliminary round, then beat Strathcona 6-3 in the semis to advance to the final against the strong host team, the La Crete Lumberjack.

"We were up 2-0 in the first period, which this La Crete team has not seen a lot of adversity throughout the season, so I think it threw them for a loop, but they came back pretty strongly."

La Crete tied it up 4-4 in the third and forced overtime. It was in the second overtime that the Rockies netted the winner.

"Our captain Jack Dempter put a puck on net and then one of my workhorses, Tyler Clazie, hit the puck in so quickly that you can barely even see it on the replay."

"It was a pretty unbelievable experience for the players, coaches, parents, and grandparents. It's been a fun season."

La Crete is 10 hours north of Cochrane, and the team broke up the trip with an overnight stay and practice in Slave Lake. 

Lane says La Crete has a beautiful facility, and the hosts were kind, generous, and accepting. He says he wouldn't hesitate to go back there for a special event. 

They were also strong supporters of their hometown team.

"They had close to 1,000 people at that game on Sunday, so it was a little bit intimidating walking out to the bench to see so many people sitting across from us," says Lane. "But the boys kept their confidence, kept their wits about them, and came away with the victory in double overtime."

Forty-strong, the Cochrane team's parents came prepared to make noise for their team.

"Our crowd was very loud. We had lots of air horns, and one parent even made some special clackers so the parents could make as much noise as possible to compete with the other 950 La Crete fans."

Heading into provincials, the Rockies were undefeated since returning from the Vegas tournament. They won their last 17 straight and were undefeated in the last 23.

"You're always a little bit worried that the boys might peak early in the season, but holy moly, they did the exact opposite."

He believes the Vegas team-building experience played a huge role in finishing the season as the best in Alberta.

"It goes to show how well these young players came together. We had a lot of depth, and there wasn't a ton of individuality. Everyone knew their roles and knew they had to go to work. They did exactly that and came away with a lifelong memory and lifelong experience."