Silver Stick

Sorry this is late I forgot to post it!

Silver Stick

The Hawks played 4 great games over the Thanksgiving weekend and went 2-2. Our game Wednesday against the Jr Sharks was a much much closer game than the score would indicate. The last time we played, the Jr Sharks had 27 shots and we had 12!!! Before this game we challenged the kids to get 24 shots against the Jr Sharks. We were very close...the shot count was 24-21. Getting more shots against San Jose will ultimately lead to more goals. The final score was 5-2 but again we had to battle back from a 2-0 deficit. A couple of mistakes made the difference in this one.

We played Tri-Valley Friday after a day off. This was probably the best game the boys played all season. The final score was 4-1 but The Hawks controlled the puck the majority of the game and played really well. We asked the boys to focus on the forecheck, recovering the puck in the offensive zone, and they did a great job. 2 of the 4 goals we scored came from us recovering loose pucks and getting to the net.

Saturday The Jr Coyotes. Ultimately the Jr Coyotes went 4-0 and won the tournament. They passed well and they played solid defense. As much as we thought Friday was the boys best effort, the game against Phoenix proved they could do more. The Hawks played great and for most of the game we held the Pups to 1 goal. The final score was 4-0 but this game was a 1 goal game for almost the entire game. This game was played end to end with both teams doing a good job of forechecking and playing solid defense in their own end. The boys played so well that the coaches decided to forgo traditional 3 stars and reward everyone with a treat after Monday's practice.

Sunday Tri Valley.....Again. I don't know if it was fatigue or a let down from the game the night before but this was a very very rough game for the Blackhawks. We were coasting to loose pucks, making soft passes and not hustling on defense. Despite our best efforts to give this one to The Blue Devils the boys managed to hang on for a 3-2 win. The Blue Guys almost tied this one with a couple of minutes left to go. Saved by the whistle!!! Not exactly how I like to win hockey games but considering the level of intensity we brought to this one....I'll take it!


Going into Silver Stick I sat down with the coaches and asked everyone's opinion on how we should approach the tournament. Meaning, do we go for the win and play our strongest players more or do we use this as a chance to develop all of the players and roll the lines as much as possible? We decided that overall it was better to try and balance the ice time and take the results as they come. This was the right decision. I saw some of the best performances from the guys that have been struggling the most. I am committed to 3 goals:
Teach sound fundamentals ( Skating, Stickhandling, Shooting and team tactics)
Make sure the kids are having fun
Foster the kids enthusiasm for hockey and get them to continue to play.

Don't get me wrong...I love to win. But not at the cost of the goals above. The coaches and I are working hard to make sure the goals above are met and that the kids are having a fun positive experience.

Great job this weekend everyone. That was a lot of fun.