The Smithers Storm midget boys hockey team pulled off a stellar comeback two weekends ago, winning the Skeena Valley Zones banner and a spot at Tier 3 Provincials, after winning two of their three games and then the championship game.
At the end of the regular season, Prince Rupert had won the league title, with 27 points; Kitimat and Terrace were tied for second at 16 points each, with Smithers rounding out the group with 13 points. The Storm lost their first game 5-2 against Kitimat to start out the weekend, although “it wasn’t for lack of trying,” said head coach Mike DeVries.
On Saturday, the team took out Terrace with a 7-2 win, then beat Prince Rupert 5-2 for a spot in Sunday’s final, a rematch against Kitimat. Smithers won the game 8-5.
DeVries pointed out that the Smithers team was made up of only a few third year players.
“We have a lot of young players,” he said. “Most of the younger players really stepped it up; the leadership comes from the older players, they set the pace.”
The announcer at the tournament said the Storm fit the definition of underdogs, peaking at the right time, according to parent Erin Roswell. DeVries agreed, and said the boys picked the perfect moment to come together.
“They always had the capability of playing a good game,” he said. “They definitely showed up for that one.”
The Storm will be in uncharted territory when they head to Cranbrook this weekend, having only faced 100 Mile House this year, splitting a win and a loss with them. DeVries said he’s hoping the momentum the boys have built up will carry through.
“There’s a lot of good teams out there. Provincials are always tough,” he said.
A nice crowning touch to the win for the players, coaches and parents of the team was finding an email when the Storm arrived home from the Zones. One of the volunteers from the tournament had sent a message, saying in part, “I just wanted to tell you that the Smithers Midgets are a class act! I truly enjoyed watching them play, your coaching staff is amazing. Your boys were very nice, and so disciplined. Everyone in Prince Rupert I spoke to were very happy Smithers won Zones, they deserved it by far!”
The Midget Storm heads to Cranbrook this weekend for the AAA Provincial Championships.
