By Graham Perkins /
The Bantam A2 boys were one of the few teams at the Burnaby Winter Club to not take part in a tournament over the Christmas break, and the time off seemed to do some good.
The team had been on a slide, managing only one win since Remembrance Day, and it looked destined to continue when they faced off against third-place Langley A2 to start the new year.
But instead, BWC showed up ready to play and skated away with a 3-2 victory.
“[Langley] had just won a tournament in Victoria, so it looked like the break did us some good,” said head coach Kevin Batchelor.
The win was a big confidence booster for the club as it gears up for the playoffs. Goaltender Nick Bell is playing some of his best hockey of the season, and the skaters have continued to be one of the most disciplined groups in the tier. If the powerplay can continue to improve, they have the potential to surprise some teams in the post season.
“I’m a big believer in fate, and I have a real good feeling about us in the playoffs. I know we can play with any team if we stick to the plan, and the kids are starting to hit their form at the right time.”
The goal for the team is still to make Provincials, but for that to happen there is no room for error.
The road to the Final Four goes through Aldergrove, Langley, and Mission, and BWC would need to pull off upsets akin to the Langley game to be considered a serious threat. |