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Good luck, Young Guns! Expectations high as team goes to Viking
Chris Clegg
for South Peace News
A perfect regular season and playoff run has the High Prairie Young Guns female peewee team full of confidence heading into Provincials in Viking March 25-28.
And, their best moments may still lie ahead.
Head coach Greg Nesom doesn’t want to put undue pressure on the girls. Afterall, it is still a game to enjoy, but admits anything less than a medal will be disappointing.
“I think this is a unique team,” says Nesom. “This team has been together for four years. We played in the boy’s league for two years. For the most part the core of the team has been together. They believe in each other and themselves.”
It’s hard to argue with the results so far. The Young Guns posted a perfect 16-0 regular season record in the All Peace Minor Hockey League’s Female Tier 3 Division and outscored their opposition 256-30.
In playoff action, the Young Guns whipped hometown High Level 9-2 March 6 and were awarded the banner after High Level conceded the two-game total goal series. Earlier, the Young Guns swept Horse Lake in the semi-finals by winning 5-2 in Horse Lake Feb. 20 and 10-2 Feb. 21 on home ice.
In Provincial qualifying, the Young Guns won 9-2 in Manning and 12-5 at home to win the two-game total goal series 21-7.
Nesom says the biggest strength of the team is its conditioning.
“In our five playoff games I think in all but one game we were behind after one period,” he says.
But as games wore on, the Young Guns took control. They’ve played over 50 games this season and been under the guidance of Lindsay Bloom, who works on their conditioning.
“Our conditioning is tops,” says Nesom. “We have the ability to play at a high tempo right to the end of the third period.”
He is also pleased the team does not have to rely on one line.
“Some girls penalty kill, some girls play the power play, but we don’t have a number one line,” he says. “We don’t depend on a few players to win for us.”
The experience gained this year with over 50 games on the schedule should also be benefit, says Nesom, who thanks the parents for the commitment.
“It has been a huge commitment this year from Prince George to High Level for playoffs to Mayerthorpe.
“It was a bit of a risk we took with the group of girls we have but what makes it (work) is the ability to roll three lines. Everyone takes regular shifts and contributes.”
He adds the games were also necessary to give goaltender Billie Cowell extra work, something she did not see in many league games.
Nesom says he knows little about three of the Young Guns’ opponents: Lethbridge, Viking and Edmonton, but adds they did defeat Spruce Grove twice 7-0 and 6-1.
“We won’t see anything we haven’t seen before,” he says.
Nesom admits expectations are high.
“Every game we enter we want to win,” he says, adding he realizes the team will be playing against teams from much larger population centres to select teams from.
Nesom says he hopes to continue the excellent tradition High Prairie has become well-known for in developing quality players.
“I think it’s very important people realize the efforts High Prairie Minor Hockey has of being competitive on the female side, says Nesom. “We’ve always had good, competitive teams and we’ve put a lot of imports into Grande Prairie and St. Albert. We have about eight or nine grads. That speaks very well for the executive, coaches and teams of the past.”
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