Ponoka Minor Hockey’s Bantam Moose team didn’t win last weekend’s home tournament but they are showing improvement.
Coach Ryan Raugust said they made it to the C finals and while they didn’t win overall, the players grew from the experience. His goal over the weekend was for the players to go out and play hard each and every game. He said maintaining a high level of intensity was their biggest challenge over the course of the tournament.
“It’s a lot more fun when you’re giving it your all,” said Raugust.
He suggests a memorable game experience comes with giving strong energy. Indeed, Saturday, Nov. 28 5 p.m.game against Athabasca proved to be a winning one. Players passed the puck on a regular basis bringing it ever closer to the opposition net, which increased their chances of scoring.
Their passing plays proved too much for Athabasca who struggled to keep up. Raugust said something coaches have been working on during practices is passing at least 20 times before getting the puck to the net. Players have taken well to the strategy, says Raugust, and they have made the drills into a fun part of the practice.
Raugust said there was only one team at the tournament who they had played before, which made it a fun experience. His team has players from other central Alberta communities such as Clive and Bashaw. Normally it takes some time for players to develop strong team camaraderie but Raugust says players have settled in quite well.
As for the regular season, the Moose team sits in the fourth spot out of six teams with a record of 3-6-0. Their next game is set for Dec. 12 at Sylvan Lake.