At the beginning of their season the boys on the Windermere Valley Minor Hockey Association midget team were given a choice. Play in the tier four section for midget teams in British Columbia and be pretty much guaranteed a chance to play in the provincials or move up to tier three and battle their way in. The team as a group made the decision to go into the tier three level and see what they could do against some stronger teams. Recently they won the zone playoff and will now have the chance to go to the provincial tournament in Cranbrook in March. “It came down to us and Creston in the final and both teams battled hard but in the end we came out with a win,” said the teams head coach Glen Sage.Glen explained that the team has hoped to make it to the provincial championships since the start of the season and he could not be happier for the team to reach this part of their goal.“It is something they have been looking forward to all season. For some of them it will be their first crack at the provincials.”Sage also said that there are many challenges for teams going to the provincials but one stands out above others in his mind.“The biggest difference is that we are going to be up against teams that we have never seen before. That adds an element of mystery to it,” Sage said. This is an issue for all the teams coming to the tournament in March. The unknown factor is just one part of the provincials that adds interest for teams acording to Sage. Jesse Tomalty is one of the midget players who is looking forward to taking on the best teams in the province at the provincials.“I think this is a time where we really want to win the provincials. We have a great group of guys and are looking to put a good run into it.” Having had experience in the provincials at a peewee level, Tomalty said he hopes to improve on the third place they won then. “The team that won back then we beat in the round robin part of the tournament. This is a chance for some of us to get over that loss back then,” he said. Tomalty added that even though going on a trip to another part of the province would have been a fun experience for the team, having the chance to sleep in their own beds should help the team’s performance on the ice.
Windermere Valley Minor Hockey Association Midget Boys’ team heading to B.C. Provincials
After moving up from tier four to tier three, the midget boys' team have earned a spot in the provincial tournament being held in Cranbrook, B.C.
The Windermere Valley Minor Hockey Association midget boys' team celebrates a hard-fought victory against the representatives from Cranbrook in a banner tournament held at the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena in Invermere. The team had already clinched a trip to the provincial tournament which is being held in Cranbrook in the middle of March.
