The St. Paul Novice 2 Canadiens hosted a home-ice tournament over the weekend, and skated away with a set of silver medals to add to their collections.
The team was pitted against Glendon in their first matchup, and they put together a solid performance to start the tournament with a win.
According to player Harlen Saskiw, the team excelled in the game because of their “passing” – though he was also able to highlight a few areas for improvement.
“In the hornets nest, in front of the net, we need to keep the puck out of there,” he said.
His teammate, Ukiah Simons, said he likes playing hockey because “it’s fun skating around and getting goals.”
Coach Reg Mortensen was impressed with his team’s performance in the tournament’s inaugural game.
“The boys were skating hard, listening to the coaches, and playing their positions. We were really happy with them,” he said.
The coach added that the home-ice tournament is one that everyone always looks forward to.
“I think you work all year to do well in your home tournament. These boys have been playing since October, so we’ve been working up to this,” he said.
Mortensen feels that his team, made up of seven- and eight-year-olds, is having a good season so far.
“We won the Mallaig tournament last weekend. We’re doing well,” he said. “Every kid has improved, and the biggest thing is that every kid is smiling.”
When asked about his goals for the weekend, Saskiw said they were “trying to win, and have lots of fun.” With their silver-medal finish, the team seems to have achieved both goals.
