It was a tight battle until the very end, but it was a silver finish for the Westlock Pee Wee 1 Warriors, who capped off a highly successful season March 20.
A week removed from their second-place finish at pee wee ‘B’ provincials in Drayton Valley, the Warriors geared up for their final challenge of the season, a best-of-three series against the CR Knights for 1660 Tier 2 Pee Wee Hockey League title.
Needing just one more win after a 4-3 Game 1 win at home March 17, the Warriors fell to a talented CR team 2-0 in Game 2 March 19 and 3-0 in the winner-take-all Game 3 Sunday.
“We both came to play and it was two good hockey teams and we were on the wrong end of it,” said coach Nelson Jespersen.
Game 3 marked the team’s 10th tilt in the last 17 days, but Jespersen wasn’t going to use fatigue as an excuse. He said both teams worked hard, but it was the Knights that earned the title.
“Right from the start, they outworked us in the third period. We had spurts of pressure, but they just outworked us for the win,” Jespersen said.
“In a game like that, there’s a lot of pressure. You grip your stick a little tighter and make some mistakes that you normally don’t.
“They were ready, but it was definitely a grind.”
It was a successful season for the Warriors, who finished behind CR with a 16-2-4 record in the regular season, but defeated them to qualify for provincials.
Jespersen admitted it was a little disappointing to finish runners up twice, but said they lost to respectable teams both times.
“Each silver is a little bit different. In the league we were beat by a very good team, and they earned it. We have nothing but respect for that team,” Jespersen said.
Ultimately, the coach was extremely proud of all his players for their accomplishments all year.
“As a coach, I was privileged to coach the team I was given. If I had to write a script, I’d write it very similar, maybe a couple more wins,” Jespersen said.
“The kids that played for me were great. Everything we asked, they did. It was very enjoyable to have that type of talent.”
