Most teams playing at the community level are determined to do one thing well and that is get the players to learn the fundamentals of hockey.
That’s exactly what the head coach of the Athabasca Atom B Storm Hawks Jason Zayezierski is doing with his club.
“Our main focus is skill development, working on the basics like strong skating and puck handling,” he said.
“The players know their positions and the breakout from our zone has been imbedded in them. The big thing for us is keep our feet moving and apply pressure to our opponents defence.”
Zayezierski added it’s been a challenging year so far – the club sits with a win and four losses at the moment – but playing those tough teams he feels is a good thing for the team.
“It will make us better in the long run,” he stated.
“I’m very proud of how our team took on Wabasca and won the third period. It took a while to get our legs back after that long delay (for an injured Wabasca player in the first). Having fun is a big part of the whole culture with this team and seeing the smiles on their faces, even after this game, means a lot to me.”
The Storm Hawks next action is this Saturday at the Multiplex when they take on the other Athabasca team. Game time is 12:15 p.m.
Bulls bucked
The North Central Midget AA Bulls had their worst showing of the season on Saturday, when they hosted the St. Albert Crusaders in Lac La Biche.
While St. Albert endured some terrible roads and weather on the way up, that was nothing compared to what the Bulls put up in a 14-0 loss.
All head coach Jody Tangedal wanted to do was put the game behind them.
“This group is better than what we have seen lately,” he said.
“They know that if you aren’t giving it 100 per cent and thinking the game, it can get away in a hurry.”
The Bulls are next up against Sturgeon on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Multiplex.
