It was about gaining confidence for the Penticton Heat midget advanced team in the Barnburner lacrosse tournament.
Heat coach Dan Chetner said it was giving the players understanding of what they need to bring to every game.
“I think we had that opporturnity. Those things happened,” said Chetner.
The Heat went winless in four games. They opened with a 10-2 loss to the Port Coquitlam Saints, then lost 8-7 to the Langley Thunder and were doubled up 12-6 by the Saanich Tigers. They finished with a 10-9 loss in the third-place game to the Thunder. Chetner said after a poor first game, the rest were strong.
“I was happy with how the team played,” said Chetner, whose group has also been dealt a few injuries including using a runner as a goalie.
Chetner said the losses to the Saints and Tigers were against very good teams, two of the best in the province. Chetner felt they were better matched up against the Thunder.
“We were in control of the destiny of that game. We made some mistakes along the way that cost us the game,” he said. “It helped us to see that if we play smart, and we play with a level of competitiveness, then we can reasonably compete to win games.”
As the season progresses, Chetner hopes the strength of his team comes from the players work ethic and competitiveness.
Penticton 2 opened the tournament with a 13-1 loss in the B division. They tied the Shuswap Outlaws 3-3 and lost to the Nicola Valley Thunder 7-2. In a rematch against Nicola Valley, the Heat lost 5-3. Winning the A1 division were the Saints defeating the Tigers 6-5, while the B Division was won by the Outlaws, 13-12 over Surrey Rebels.
