By / Alissa McArthur
Atom A1 team gears up to play BWC
After posting a 9-8-1 regular season record, the Atom A1 team will face a tough test against Tier 1-leading Burnaby Winter Club (16-1-1) in the first round of the playoffs.
Head coach Mark Kaufman’s team finished their 2009-10 regular season with a bang, beating North Shore Winter Club 8-3 at home Jan. 10, giving Hollyburn sixth place in their tier.
“The last few games were...good efforts,” Kaufman said. “We’re moving the puck well and our effort is usually pretty good.”
The score of their final game notwithstanding, the coach said his team was involved in many close games this season. The A1’s were 1-1 against BWC this season, and Kaufman said his team matches up well with the first place finishers.
“It should be a good series,” he said. “We’ll see which team is more ready.”
Peewee A2 team takes positives from tough season
A young Peewee A2 team struggled in the win column this season but learned a lot on and off the ice this season, said coach Darrel Stanwood.
With only five second-year players and the rest first-year Peewees, the A2s finished the year 2-13-3. But Stanwood said he was proud of the way his team improved its “compete level” and adjusted to contact hockey.
Stanwood cited the highlight of the season as a road trip to Seattle before the Christmas break.
“We got a hard-fought win and improved throughout,” Stanwood said.The A2s finished their season with two games in one day on Jan. 12, a 2-2 tie against the Vancouver Thunderbirds and a 4-2 loss against Whistler.
Bantam C team ready for playoffs
The Bantam C1 team has finished the regular season in second place just behind their C2 counterparts from Hollyburn. Coach Doug Morison’s C1 team earned second spot with a 14-2-4 record this season.
The C1s capped off the regular season with a 5-3 home victory against North Van C6, who they had tied in their last meeting. Although the playoff schedule hasn’t been finalized, Morison says his team will prepare by continuing to do what made them successful this season.
“Our first focus was to improve game over game and practice over practice,” Morison said. “The second thing was to have fun, and the third was that winning would be a bonus.”
“I think we did all three things very well.”
Midget C team battles through injuries
Having battled through injuries all season – including two broken wrists and a handful of dislocated shoulders – the Midget C2 team have struggled to put W’s on the board this season.
The young C2 team, mostly made up of first year Midget players, currently has a 4-10-2 record this season. Head coach Steve Dunwood said it was important to be “building young adults” on a Midget house team.
“We’re working on hockey skills along with patience and teamwork,” he said.
Dunwood said he has been impressed with the improvement in his team grit, goaltending and defensive play throughout the season.
The C2s last game was a 3-2 home loss against Whistler, Jan. 12. Dunwood said his team will look forward to playoffs, and will not be participating in any end-of-season tournaments. The C2s played in a tournament in November in Powell River, which Dunwood called a “good bonding experience,” and produced the team’s first tie of the season.
Notes
Hollyburn will be hosting the Atom A1 Final Four, running from Feb. 27 to March 2.
The Midget A3 team recently came back from a tournament in Enderby and Armstrong in the North Okanagan, where they reached the semi-final. Coach Ben Mackay reported that although his team is sub-.500 this season, his young players have developed throughout the year and are having fun.
The Hollyburn Spring 3-on-3 League will begin after the Olympic break. The league, which runs for eight weeks, will include teams for all levels, from Initiation to Midget, including a women’s division. For more information, contact hockey@hollyburn.org
Hollyburn will also be hosting skill clinics this spring for both members and non-members. The clinics will focus on various skills such as checking and puckhandling. For more information, call 604-913-4523 or email hockey@hollyburn.org |