With momentum and home ice advantage on their side, the Abbotsford Hawks could be on the cusp of a special performance at the bantam Tier 1 hockey provincials.
The Hawks are hosting the B.C. championships at MSA Arena, beginning on Sunday and culminating with the final at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
They’re red-hot coming in, having upset favoured Burnaby Winter Club to win the Lower Mainland Final Four title two weeks ago.
“I believe we’re peaking at the right time,” Hawks head coach Troy Campbell said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence, and couple that with hard work, and I think we’re going to be a very dangerous team come Sunday.”
Depth, particularly up front, is the Hawks’ greatest strength.
“We have two scoring lines, with a third line that can really contribute as well,” Campbell pointed out. “We didn’t have to shorten the bench at all during the Final Four, because we have so much confidence in the entire group.”
The Hawks are hosting a variety of fundraising events during the championship, including a silent auction featuring Vancouver Canucks memorabilia. They’re also holding an event in conjunction with MSA Ford on Monday (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at MSA Arena), where $20 will be donated for every participant who test-drives a vehicle.
The opening ceremonies on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. will feature members of the Abbotsford Heat, the Abbotsford Police ceremonial unit, and Canucks anthem singer Mark Donnelly. Canucks PA announcer John Ashbridge will be on hand for Wednesday’s championship game.
The host Hawks open with a pair of games on Sunday. They take on Burnaby Winter Club at 10:30 a.m., and face Prince George at 8 p.m. Other teams in the draw include Kamloops, Cloverdale and Nanaimo.
The full schedule is as follows:
SUNDAY, MARCH 20
10:30 a.m. – Abbotsford vs. Burnaby Winter Club
1:30 p.m. – Cloverdale vs. Prince George
4:30 p.m. – Kamloops vs. Nanaimo
7:30 p.m. – Opening ceremonies
8 p.m. – Abbotsford vs. Prince George
MONDAY, MARCH 21
8 a.m. – Nanaimo vs. Burnaby Winter Club
11 a.m. – Cloverdale vs. Kamloops
5 p.m. – Prince George vs. Burnaby Winter Club
8 p.m. – Abbotsford vs. Kamloops
TUESDAY, MARCH 22
8 a.m. – Cloverdale vs. Namaimo
2 p.m. – Kamloops vs. Burnaby Winter Club
5 p.m. – Nanaimo vs. Prince George
8 p.m. – Abbotsford vs. Cloverdale
WEDNESDAY
8 a.m. – Kamloops vs. Prince George
11 a.m. – Burnaby Winter Club vs. Cloverdale
2 p.m. – Abbotsford vs. Nanaimo
8 p.m. – Championship game (top two teams from round robin)
