A week removed from his teamís elimination from the North Central Hockey League playoffs, Athabasca Aces head coach Curtis Creaser is still disappointed with the outcome.
ìI thought we should have advanced further in the playoffs. I think we just fell short of the expectations we had based on the talent level and the type of players we had,î he said.
ìI think itís just an underachievement for us.î
The Aces two losses at the hands of the Edson Ice in the opening round of the playoffs were certainly not what the coach or any of his players had in mind after a fairly successful regular season that saw them finish fourth in the six-team league. They were just four points behind the Ice in the standings and had defeated them in the regular season, so they werenít up against a team they couldnít match. But a 6-5 overtime loss in Edson followed by a 7-5 loss at home on Feb. 9 were all that mattered in the playoff bracket, as the 2012-13 edition of the Aces failed to snap the franchiseís streak of first round exits.
ìThe first game we played really well; either team could have won it. The second game we only showed up in the third period.î
That was another symptom of consistency issues that plagued the team throughout the season, according to Creaser.
ìIt seems throughout the year weíre stressing the same things every game,î he said, noting that the teamís lack of practice time may have hurt them more than he anticipated.
ìIf youíre getting regular time (on the ice) you move on very quickly; the guys are engaged and getting chemistry. And consistency in practice means you donít have to deal with those things in a game situation,î he explained.
But the realities of working lives made it hard to gather the Aces together for mid-week practices, as did the fact that a number of the teamís players were commuting from the city.
But the seasonís abrupt end didnít negate its many positives. Only one team can hoist a championship in a given year, and those that donít cannot automatically be labeled bad teams. The Aces finished above the .500 mark, and proved themselves capable of beating all of the other teams in the league.
ìCertain guys stepped up and played roles that improved their game. Our attitude and identity was improved on,î said the coach.
The Aces were bound to change after Creaser came aboard, taking the reins from former head coach Tony Kiselyk. The new coach found his first year behind the bench to be a learning experience as he managed the balance of coaching and forming relationships with his players, many of whom are of a similar age and background. And as injuries brought an end to his own on-ice career, he had to overcome his desire to get out on the ice himself.
ìOne of the big hurdles I had to get over was realizing I couldnít put the jersey on and physically show them how I felt we needed to improve,î he said. ìBut as the season goes on you let that go, and you do your best to prepare your guys for the game, period.î
Having a full year of coaching experience under his belt will benefit Creaser next year as he seeks to guide the Aces to playoff success. Preparations for the new season are already underway as the coach begins to look at bringing in new players and securing commitments from returning ones. The organization is also looking at potentially bringing back the Aces Hockey School this summer.
As time tends to fly, it will likely feel like no time at all before Creaser and the Aces are back out on the ice.
ìIím looking forward to it; itís going to be fun.î
