So many times a coaching staff will tell its players that if you pass the puck, good things will happen.
And that is what happened with the Langley Wildcats.
The first three times this season, the Wildcats faced off against the Langley Phantoms in peewee hockey action and all three times, the Phantoms prevailed.
But going back to a tournament in New Westminster over spring break and the Wildcats found their groove.
“We were playing more as a team and we started scoring more because the boys started passing more,” said Wildcats coach Chris Brawdy.
“We were playing more as a team and we really focused on pressing the play all the time. Whereas before, we would have one guy go on a solo rush and everyone else would watch him.”
Buoyed by that momentum from that tournament, the Wildcats were perfect at the Langley Cup tournament, capturing the peewee Cup with a 4-2 victory over the Phantoms in the finals of the tournament on March 30 at George Preston Recreation Centre.
The Wildcats finished the season with nine wins in their final 10 games, and only allowed 14 goals in that span.
Goaltending and defence were the hallmark of the team all year, Brawdy said, as the team was accustomed to winning, but usually by a 2-1 score.
The coach credited the play of goaltender Kevin Craig — who was the team’s only option in goal for much of the season because of injury — and defenceman Brady Lumsden, the team captain.
“Kevin was fantastic all year, lights out,” Brawdy said.
“(And) even when we weren’t scoring, we were pretty much in every game because of those two guys.”