For the first time since 2009, the Gord Smith Memorial Midget Tournament trophy is leaving Westlock
In the final of the eighth edition of the tournament, the Westlock Warriors fell to the Spruce Grove Bandits 7-5, ending their hopes of a three-peat after winning the tournament in its last two years at Jubilee Arena in 2010 and 2011.
How close the final was spoke to how good the Spruce Grove team was, said Warriors’ coach Jeff Copeland.
“They’re a lot stronger than the first two teams we played,” he said.
In the Warriors’ first two games Saturday at the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre, the home side was barely tested, defeating St. Albert and Edmonton by a combined score of 22-4.
Ultimately, Copeland said the loss came down to the team not quite playing a full 60 minutes as hard as they needed to. Still, he was fairly happy with how the boys performed.
“They played well and fought back,” he said. “Unfortunately we lost by two.”
That two-goal margin was established inside the game’s first five minutes. By the 4:30 mark of the first period, the Bandits had already built a 2-0 lead.
Despite the best efforts of game MVP Koben Hammett, who had a hat trick and an assist for four points in the loss, the Warriors were unable to get closer than two goals down the rest of the way.
Copeland said it’s disappointing not to have the Warriors’ name on the trophy, and to see the team’s winning streak end, but he had to give credit to the Bandits for the win.
Even in a loss, there are things that stand out as positives, and this tournament result was certainly no different.
“The first two games were really confidence boosters,” Copeland said, explaining they showed the boys they can play at a high level and put the puck in the net.
Overall, he said the tournament should bode well for the rest of the 1660 League season, where the Warriors currently sit in last place with no wins in five games at the Tier 4 level.
“We hope to get some regular season wins,” Copeland said.
The next home game for the Warriors is Dec. 9 at 2:30 p.m. against the Barrhead Renegades.
