The Boston Pizza Bantam Raptors played well and took home the B-final championship at their home tournament over last weekend.
The Raptors hosted teams from Cochrane, Strathmore, Okotoks and Thorsby.
Raptors coach Joe Rowbottom said there was great competition at the tournament. While there were some teams they had not seen this season, a couple of the teams were from a stronger tier in the league.
“We won two and lost two games,” he said.
In an exciting match in pool play, the Raptors faced Thorsby and it went to a shoot out.
In the B-final, they again faced Thorsby and again the game went to a shoot out. The Raptors won 5-4.
Coach Rowbottom said the team has made some good progress.
“From a coaching perspective, we have been working on regroups, break outs, forechecking and all the things important to hockey, and all the things we have been practicing the last couple weeks, they started to do it against the stronger teams and the weaker teams,” said Rowbottom. “That was satisfying for our coach group to see.”
Heading into the stretch, he wants the team focusing on the smaller details, playing the game the right way.
“We want them playing with a lot of effort, all five guys on the ice, not just three, two or four,” he said. “Hockey is a team sport and it take everyone out on the ice to be going 100 per cent to be successful. That has always been our focus and it is going to continue to be.”
He is appreciative of the work of the team, the parents and volunteers who made the tournament a success. He said manager Shannon Dart was invaluable in her work to make the tournament a success.
“It was a great effort from all the parents and the kids,” said coach Rowbottom adding there was great support from the community for the tournament.
