At The Christmas Break...
The Dowler Karn Bantam AE Jr. Stars have hit the Christmas break sitting in first place in the standings during league play but with a couple extra games played compared to the three teams directly below them.
Their 3 defeats have come once against a very strong Strathroy team and twice against a pretty good goalie in Ilderton. Our team tied Ilderton team just before Christmas and had two ties versus Dorchester which is another good team. Our record sits at 11-3-3 with only 3 league games left to play. One against Petrolia before the new year, one against Dorchester and our final home league game against Mooretown on January 19th. All-in-all, the boys have played well enough to deserve their spot in the standings, but as always, the coaching staff is pushing for more as Playdowns are just around the corner.
The team has struggled during tournament play so far winning only 1 game out of 6, losing to the West London Hawks, Brantford Saints, Whitby Wildcats, Oakville Pounders and our nemesis, the Dorchester Dragons. With the exception of Dorchester, all of the other teams were 100% Major aged teams which should equate to stronger competition. For the most part, the boys have held their own but have not been able to elevate their game to the level necessary to be ultimately successful. This level of success is what is necessary to compete during Playdowns and these early and mid-season tests are required to push the team to improve and not just “get by” with the bare minimum.
On a positive note, the team has received contributions from every player on the team in one form or another. Every player on the team has a goal and every player has at least one point. Some players have brought more than goals and assists to the table with their hustle, hard work, attention to the little parts of the game, or simply doing as the coaches ask. Our goaltending has been excellent, posting a goals against average just below 2.50 combined.
We have a busy schedule in the new year and the coaching staff will be working to implement the rest of our team systems in preparation for the Playdowns and Shamrock Playoffs. We have secured some additional ice time in order to achieve this and the players will be asked to use their hockey minds as well as their skills. Some of the best players in the NHL haven’t always been the most talented but have attained a level of success by playing smart. The coaching staff will be banking on that level of smart play in order to be successful through this final portion of our hockey season.
The coaching staff would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and would also like to thank you all for your support so far this season.