Boyle’s bantam hockey players are blazing through the provincial playdowns.
The team eliminated Lac La Biche 13-0 in the first round (a two-game, total points series) and the second round wasn’t much harder on them. They finished off Smoky Lake 5-1 last Friday at the Millview Recreation Complex after dropping them 7-2 in Game One earlier in the week.
“Smoky Lake is a good team, but our guys came out flying,” said coach Mark Kilar.
Tough competition is nothing new for the Blazers this season, as they moved to a higher tier this year.
“Every game was a challenge,” said the coach.
Members of the team are feeling pretty good about their run through the playdowns so far, including goaltender Mason Gauthier, who delivered a strong effort in the net to help his team beat Smoky Lake.
“We have a really strong team,” he said.
“We came out flying,” agreed team captain Alex Antal.
Outside of provincials, the team is awaiting a date with Meadow Lake in the league playoffs. Though Boyle finished fifth in their six-team league, the coach pointed out that competition has been tight among all teams and nobody has a distinct advantage. So the team is confident heading into the first round.
“Our team is ready for it,” said Gauthier.
The team will play off against either St. Paul or Vermillion in the third round of the playdowns.
