To say the Quesnel Thunder bantam tier 3 hockey team had a good weekend in Westside would be an understatement.
Sure, the Thunder won the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, including a 4-1 win in the semi-finals against the host Westside Warriors and an 11-0 win against the Nelson Leafs in the tournament final.
But for Thunder coach, Brian Kozak, it’s not that they won, but rather it’s how they won that impressed him most.
For Kozak, the semi-final win against Westside, a team the Thunder had beaten 14-1 in round robin play, was a big game for his players.
“It was a good team lesson for them,” Kozak said.
“At one point the score was 1-1, but instead of the players panicking and each playing their own way, they persevered as a team.”
That, Kozak explained, was the main focus for the Thunder at the Westside tournament, to play as a team.
The tournament also gave the Thunder players and coaches the opportunity to play against and watch some of the teams they might face in the provincial championships.
“But we still have to get through Williams Lake,” Kozak added with emphasis.
As for standout players, Kozak pointed to the entire team and explained that everyone played to their full potential and did all the little things that help win hockey games.
“Everyone went the extra mile,” he said.
“It was a feel-good weekend.”
Next action for the bantam Thunder is a tournament in Kamloops Jan. 13 – 15, 2012.