The Atom AA Pontiacs are proud of bringing home silver in provincials, but they don't plan on stopping there.
From March 16 to 18, the local team faced off against some of Alberta's best. In a few short weeks, they will be off to Red Deer for the Tournament of Champions.
"We did very well. I'm very happy with the outcome," said head coach Terry Rupp about their latest silver medal win. "The kids did really well, they had some comeback wins. We would be down two goals and the kids showed so much character. They buckled down and ended up on the right side of the scoreboard at the end of the game."
The tournament was a four-game round robin. To start their weekend off, the Pontiacs tied their first game against Edson, but they wouldn't let that slow them down.
The team dominated the ice in their second and third games, followed by a 5-2 loss to Canmore.
"That got us into the semi-finals, which we ended up winning 3-2 over Strathcona," Rupp explained, adding that win guaranteed their spot in the final game against Canmore.
In the end, their efforts weren't enough to win gold, but their spirits weren't dampened by the loss.
"The kids are really happy. The bus ride home was a tone-changer for them. They had been disappointed in the change room after the game, but once they got a sense of it and talked to their parents and coaches and saw how proud everyone was of them and where they got to... they knew they had left everything out there and they were really proud of that," described Rupp.
By sticking to their structure and repeatedly remembering the lessons they had learned throughout the season, the Pontiacs were able to rack up hardware.
"In this level of hockey, you have to be smart position-wise. It's not a chase the puck kind of game anymore," Rupp noted.
Rupp is hoping to carry that same energy to their upcoming tournament March 30 to April 1.
There, they will once again go head-to-head with some of the best teams in Alberta, after being placed in the highest tier in the league.
But the Tournament of Champions is bittersweet. Not only will it be their last of the season, it's also their last time playing together as a team.
"They're excited. It's their last time together. As kids are heading into peewee they will be going into different levels. There will be kids sticking in the AA program, and some who may not get the opportunity again. It's really the last chance for all of these kids to show what they've got in the tournament," expressed Rupp.
As they move on to bigger and better things, Rupp hopes the players will look back on a successful year with the atom Pontiacs.
"The season went really well. We had to find games outside of our zone and played a lot of city teams," he said.
In their case, they had to travel outside of the Lakeland for game-play, and were facing off against teams from Calgary, Fort McMurray, and beyond.
"I'm very thankful for the dedication of not only our players, but also their parents on the amount of travel we had to do," Rupp said.
The head coach had words of advice for his team.
He said, "There is no stone unturned, your identity is rolling up your sleeves putting your work boots on and fully committing; first shift - every shift."
