It’s been a strange way to start the season for the Athabasca Hawks Atom A club.
Three of their first four games have come against the same team, but head coach Erin Francis explained that hasn’t stopped the team from getting off to a great start.
“Fortunately or unfortunately, we have played Mayerthorpe the last three games straight,” Francis said, following Saturday’s 8-7 nail-bitting victory over Mayerthorpe at the Multiplex.
“With only a five-team league, you play each other four times. Our first game was against Slave Lake, then we played Mayerthorpe three times and starting next weekend we play Whitecourt three straight times. That’s just the way the schedule worked out.”
Not that is has hurt the Hawks, who now sit atop the standings with a record of three wins and a loss.
“We have a really good calibre group of kids here that are excited to practice and learn the strategy and different things about the game,” added Francis.
As for Saturday’s game, Francis was very happy with three key performances.
“Peyton Alix and Aston Funk went out, shadowed their top player and pretty much shut him down,” she said.
“They played him hard and while he still got on the scoresheet, he wasn’t as big a factor as the last game.”
Goaltender TJ Bobocel was also singled out for making some great and timely stops when the game was on the line late in the third.
The Hawks are in Whitecourt on the weekend for a pair of games before hosting Whitecourt on Nov. 22.
The team is also hoping to play host to the provincial championship this season. It isn’t known when they will find out if they are awarded the event.
