HAY RIVER - The Moosehide Mammas are viewing their performance at a recent tournament as a great way to end their season.

The Mammas competed in the Hazardous Hockey Tournament in Hay River from March 5 to 7. The Fort Simpson team finished with a record of two ties and three losses against teams from Hay River, High Level and Fort Smith.

The Fort Simpson Moosehide Mammas includes back row, from left, Erin Wyatt, Laurie Ozmun, Jennifer Thistle, Brenda Moreau and Susan Coyne. Front row, from left, Pam Olafson, Dawn Moses, Alexa Tsetso and Kelley Andrews-Klein. - photo courtesy of Susan Coyne

"The team played fabulous," said Brenda Moreau, the president of the Moosehide Mammas.

The team's first tournament of the year, held in Fort Simpson in February, was all about teaching the new players, said Moreau. In contrast, all but one of the nine Mammas that travelled to Hay River were experienced players.

Some alumni including Jennifer Thistle, who now lives in Calgary, and Susan Coyne and Dawn Moses, who are both residing in Yellowknife, came for the tournament.

It was nice to have the alumni back because they bring momentum to the team and act as role models for the newer players, said Laurie Ozmun, the team's goalie.

Despite the experienced players on the ice, the Mammas were hampered by numbers. Only seven players were present for the first game on Friday when the Fort Simpson squad tied 3-3 with the Fort Smith Wrath.

On Saturday the team was up one player giving them three substitutes as they lost 7-1 to the Fort Smith Rage and 9-1 to the Hay River Explosives before tying the Hay River Dynamite 3-3. All of the other teams had at least an extra full line, said Ozmun.

"That's a lot of work on the girls," she said.

All of the Mammas played well during the weekend and the team really started to gel during the last game, Ozmun said. The Mammas ended the tournament on Sunday with a 5-3 loss against High Level, Alta.

"Although we lost three and tied two they should all be proud of themselves because they played like all-stars," Ozmun said. "You couldn't ask for anything more considering their numbers."

A total of seven teams played in the tournament. Fort Smith Rage took first place, followed by the Hay River Explosives in second.

"It was a wonderful weekend," said Leighann Campbell, the president of the Hay River Hazard Hockey League.

"There was a lot of great hockey."