The Peewee Rep Blues came home with third place from a holiday tournament in Powell River.
The Blues didn't start out well, losing to Powell River and New Westminster on the opening day of the tournament Dec. 29.
"We lost both games by large margins and played lousy," said head coach Brent Parker.
On day two, however, the Blues rebounded, beating a team from Port Hardy in the final round robin game and edging them again later in the day in the third/fourth place game.
"On the second day, we stepped up our physical play and that helped us to be more successful," Parker said. "Instead of standing around, our guys started to skate more and take the body much more effectively."
Parker said he was pleased overall with the outcome and commended Powell River for putting on a great event.
Adam Goddard won the fastest skater honour during a skills competition held during the tournament.
On another note, Parker wanted to send thanks to minor hockey alumnus David Arduin, who came out for a skate with the team during the Christmas holidays.
"Just before Christmas, we met up with David on the ferry. I asked him if he'd like to come out for a practice and he showed up bright and early the next day," said Parker. "He skated with the boys and talked about playing junior hockey in Vernon. It was a nice experience for our boys."
Midget BluesIn keeping with the Christmas tradition of giving, the Sunshine Coast Midget Rep Blues hockey team would like to give thanks to each parent who attended the Christmas tournament this year in New Westminster. A big thank you goes out to: Tammy for being the team mom and action central; Katie, Jacquie and Selina for cheerleading (what would a game be without that familiar "Let's go, Blu-ues, let's go"); Lynn for her professional technical analysis; Paulette and Colleen for their dedicated support for the game; Darcy and Martina for giving their junior hockey tickets to the boys and washing their jerseys; Dean and Robin for their ambulance services; Barry for his clipboard skills; Kevin for his cinematography; Scott, Scotty, Nanci and Al for their positivity; Kim for his tireless team support; Carol for her organizational skills; coach Russ McLeod for coaching 24/7; coach Mike for a pat on the back for every player after every shift; coach Kerry for being an example of one who has always played the game with heart; and coach Joe for his endless list of excellent restaurants and directions on how to get to them.
The Blues did not have much success at the tournament. They lost their first game by a score of 6-0 and attributed it to illness and injury, as they were missing four players. Their second game was an improvement; however, they lost by a score of 3-2. The Blues won their third game with a final score of 6-4 and lost their last game, being outscored 7-5. They are hoping to turn this into a learning experience that will motivate them in the new year.
On a brighter note, Mike Leibing, Adam Cote, Coty Haikonen and Vince Percy all came home with MVP awards for their efforts at the tournament.
