~ Jennifer Ripley, The Victoria Standard Ten-year-old hockey player Cache Pierrard of We’koqma’q will hit the ice this summer in the Czech Republic. Cache is the sole Atlantic Canada player joining the Calgary Cowboys Atom AAA hockey team for the Czech Hockey Cup Challenge Tournament in August. “It’s pretty exciting for my son to be First Nations and to represent our country,” says Cache’s mother Naomi Pierrard. “I’m just so proud of him. I feel he’s a really good role model because he’s showing that anything is possible, that if you work hard rewards come to you.” Top Guns Hockey Development School, based in Alberta, will be sending the Calgary Cowboys to the tournament. Players who are interested in participating submit an application and are assigned a scout to determine eligibility. During regular season, Cache plays for the Cape Breton West Islanders Atom A team. There were no scouts in the Atlantic region so Naomi submitted a video application as well as a recommendation from Cache’s coach, Craig Mcinnis. “Cache will be a big addition to that team,” says Macinnis. “He will bring his work ethic and leadership qualities and that will rub off on his teammates out there like it does here. They are getting a great person and a great hockey player.” Because of the multi-step application process, Cache remained cautious until the official invitation to play came. “He was kind of reserved and didn’t want to get too excited because he wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” says Naomi. “So, once he found out he was (going) he was in shock. It took them a couple of days before it really sunk in and now he’s really excited about it.” Cache, who will be accompanied by his mother, says he is nervous about the trip but is looking forward to meeting new people. The trip starts in Canmore, Alberta on July 26 where the team will have a week together before flying to Venice, Italy. From there the team will travel through Austria to the Czech Republic, taking in guided tours along the way before the start of the tournament.