Wednesday, October 14, 2015

E- Kelowna rockets

Yes, there was some hockey played on this trip as well...but it was just as much about good times off the ice as on it. 

Our boys have won their first 6 games of the year in Atom Rep tier 3, so it was a great chance to come back to reality by playing some higher tiered teams in this Kelowna tournament. We headed up on Friday at 6am to make it in time for a noon game. 

All 3 games in the round robin were fairly close (the biggest loss was 6-3 on an empty net goal). We didn't really deserve to win them, but we held our own. 

With movies, popcorn...


and casual dinners where the rookies had to wear Macdonalds bibs...


and hot-tubs, waterslides, pools....


and mini stick hockey....


and fancier dinners too...


the boys could be forgiven for not getting too upset about the losses. 

While they bonded as a team, the parents also go to know each other and the coaching staff. Our coaches love of beer-pong made for a fun Saturday night, but also a really long next day for me as I got up at 4:30am to fly back to Vancouver in time for work. 

I had to miss the boys final game as they played the top, undefeated team. On paper it looked like a guaranteed loss...but it sounds like they played really hard, Lukey made a number of key saves, and they missed a wide open net down 3-2 in the dying moments. I think the players' disappointment was equally balanced by the parents elation to get out of Kelowna early enough to drive home in the light and make it back for Thanksgiving dinner. 

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