Athabascaís Peewee A Hawks put in a good showing at the 2013 Peewee C Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships in Redwater on the weekend.
Going into the event, none of the local kids had been to a provincial tournament before, but that inexperience didnít stop them from putting in their best effort.
They started the tournament hot, winning their first two games on Friday. Bright and early on Friday morning, they beat the Foremost/Bow Island Flyers 5-3. Later that day, they dropped the host Redwater Rush 12-0.
On Saturday, they played their third game of the tournament, losing 5-2 to the Provost Blades.
Despite the loss, they still finished second in their pool and advanced to the semi finals, where they battled the Valleyview Ice Bears, a team that had been running roughshod over the other teams at the tournament. But the Hawks matched them at both ends of the ice and played a terrific game, ultimately losing a tight game by a 2-1 score.
ìThey gave it all they got because they wanted to play again (in the finals),î noted head coach Neil Hanzel.
Though the Hawks were ultimately beaten out, the coach noted there was no shame in losing a hard-fought game to a better team.
ìThe kids all had fun. It was quite the experience.î
A few of the highlights for the local kids were a big breakfast buffet after their first game on Friday and an on-ice ceremony during which the players were introduced to the crowd.
Though the Hawks were new to provincials, the coach didnít think they were nervous.
They were tired, however, playing so many games in a short time frame, and starting so early on a Friday.
ìWe told them to go out there, skate hard and have fun. They were all happy at the end of the (final) game, they knew they gave it all they had.î
The strong showing at provincials was the perfect way for the Hawks to finish their year.
ìTheyíve come a long way. They started a little shaky but they all came together and started playing as a team.î
Midgets blaze
With just 10 skaters, Boyleís Midget Blazers went all the way to the semi-finals at the Midget D Provincial Championships in Oyen on the weekend.
The Blazers didnít get the start they wanted, losing their first game on Thursday 5-2 to Consort. But rather than get down on themselves, they refocused and brought their ëAí game to their Friday night battle with Lethbridge/Magrath, rolling over them by an 11-2 score.
ìThey just kept putting pucks in the net,î noted head coach Mark Kilar. ìThey really played well.î
Their third and final round robin game was against the host Oyen team, and the Blazers faced the extra pressure of needing to win by three goals in order to move on. With a 3-0 lead going into the final period, they seemed poised to qualify, but a late-game charge by Oyen almost stopped them. Ultimately a 5-2 score was enough for the Blazers to move on.
In the semi-final game on Sunday, they played Hughenden, and battled hard before ultimately losing 6-0.
The game was close after the first two periods, but Boyleís opponents pulled away in the final frame.
ìThe gas in the tank (ran out),î noted the coach.
The Blazers did, after all, bring only 10 skaters to the event, but that was hardly a factor until the final game, according to the coach.
ìI never noticed any quit in anybody. The boys were a little discouraged at the end, but they were happy to get that far and finish off the year as strong as we did.î
After a long season full of challenges, the Blazers wrapped things up on a high note in Oyen.
Bulls excel
The North Central Bulls saved their best for last.
After a challenging inaugural season, the Bulls competed at the Midget AA Provincial Championships in Fort McMurray on the weekend and put in a terrific effort, going 2-2 and coming within one goal of advancing to the semi finals.
ìIt was a phenomenal weekend,î said head coach Calvin Klaczek.
The Bulls lost their first game of the event on Thursday, 9-3 to the Spruce Grove Saints. But they followed that up with their first win of the season, 5-0 over the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons on Friday.
On Saturday they lost their first game 4-1 to Lethbridge, but bounced back later in the day with a 7-5 win over the Edmonton Thunder.
That put them in a three-way tie for second in their pool, and after all the tiebreaking math had been done, they fell just one goal short of advancing.
Even though they didnít make it to the playoff round, the coach was thrilled with the two victories and a great run where they went five periods without giving up a single goal.
ìThe boys were extremely happy. It all came together this weekend,î noted the coach.
ìItís like someone turned on a light switch. We had it all. Great goaltending, our defense was strong in our zone and on the breakout, our forwards played well at both sides of the ice. We head manned the puck and back checked. The whole package was there.î
The Bulls seemed to put all the lessons the coaches had been instilling in them throughout the season to work at the same time, and gave their all in doing so.
ìIt was a consistent performance from shift to shift. Nobody was there for the ride; everyone worked hard shift after shift,î said the coach.
The Bulls had only 11 skaters for the first two games and 12 for the last two, but still competed with teams that had a full complement of players.
ìThat shows you the conditioning of the boys,î said Klaczek.
Call-ups from the Midget B team, Sam Davis and Cam Hutchison, helped the Bulls round out their roster.
ìItís a great way to end the year. It made the whole season worthwhile to see the effort and improvement of the boys. They were improving all year long. It bodes well for next yearís program.î
