A team of 11 young Sunshine Coast hockey players learned what is possible when you believe in yourself and your team at the Chilliwack Spring Kickoff Tournament earlier this month.
Teams from the Okanagan and all over the Lower Mainland competed in the tournament. After only two practices, this newly-formed team of Atom-aged players (about 9 years old) faced their first test in a three-day tournament in Chilliwack during the first weekend of April.
Competition was stiff, but nothing could have prepared the players for the first game against the Kelowna Heat who beat the BC Blues by nine points. The kids were feeling a bit defeated after this match, and the coaches had a meeting to re-evaluate the overall strategy and make a few line changes.
Head coach Brad Wingfield brought a level-headed approach and said to the kids, “Keep your chins up, it’s only game one. Go eat some good food, get a good sleep and come back tomorrow ready to play.”
The young athletes appreciated his ability to see the greater picture and snapped back with a new positive outlook.
Game two was a completely different match. The BC Blues came out fired up after a cheer that had everyone riled up into a frenzy. The goals came quickly, and by the end, the Blues had a five point win against the Coquitlam Crunch.
The Blues had about four hours off before their next game. It was time to fuel up, play some mini-golf and then head back to the rink. They battled hard in game three and tied the BC Kodiaks, which gave them a spot in the semi-finals on Sunday.
The semi-final game was too close for comfort, but the Blues came up victorious with a close 2-1 finish, granting them a spot in the tournament finals.
After reviewing the standings, it was apparent that the BC Blues were about to face the AAA Fraser Valley Sturgeon team. This story goes much like the little engine that could.
The Blues were noticeably more focused and serious through their pre-game warm-up than they had been for previous matches. The game started off fast, and the Blues scored in the first 28 seconds. It was just the start they needed to get rid of their nervousness and settle into their playing style.
The Fraser Valley team wasn’t about to take this lying down – they quickly tied things up and it went back and forth until the end of the third period when the teams were tied at five points.
The game went into overtime and each team sent out three players and a goalie to face off. Five minutes started to count down on the clock and the puck went back and forth from end to end. Posts were hit and chances to score were plentiful for both teams.
With seven seconds left on the clock, a Fraser Valley player tripped up one of the Blues, leading to a penalty shot.
The crowd went silent, the teams gathered around their respective benches, while Blues player Jacob Wingfield skated out to centre ice. At a medium pace he picked up the puck and headed down towards the goalie.
Wingfield made it past the hash marks and head faked right, then quickly shot a bullet to the left – the goalie tried to stop the puck with his blocker, but it was already in the net, securing the Blues’ gold medal win.
The BC Blues jumped off their bench, sticks and gloves went flying and instantly littered the ice. Tears of joy came down some players’ faces and others just couldn’t stop screaming.
This story is not only a tale about victory and personal achievement – it’s greater than that. It’s a story about a team whose members got behind each other, supported one another and truly believed in each member of the group. They won gold because they played with heart and passion – not just for themselves, but for the whole team.
Coming home to the Coast, BC Ferries announced the win and the ship’s captain honked the horn many times as the passengers cheered and welcomed home their gold medal team.
