The Atom C1 hockey team just doesn't give up, no matter what is happening on the ice.
On Jan. 21 the team faced Hollyburn, and lost 5-2 with misfires into their own net, but that didn't stop them from throwing themselves into the game.
"The kids didn't give up," said coach Greg MacDougall. "They tried to the end. That's what our team does, they go to the very end. Chase [MacDougall] had a good game in goal. He recovered and made some good saves."
Goaltending and defense have worked in favour of the team this season. The team has a record of five wins and six losses with two goalies (Chase and Dylan Auld) protecting the net.
"I think our strength is in our defensive play and our goaltending has really kept us in some games this year," said MacDougall. "Chase is a butterfly goalie and Dylan is more of a stand-up and drop-down goalie. They both really enjoy playing in net."
On offence, Terry Clark (number 4) and Josh Thrower (number 7) have been working the ice."They probably carry our team offensively. They do quite well," MacDougall said.
The Atom C1 team is small, with fourteen skaters and two first year players, Gurpreet Rai (number 3) and Avjot Grewal (number 10). MacDougall said Rai's skating has improved and he's catching onto the sport quickly.
"Avjot, he's improved throughout the year, MacDougall said. "He's always trying out there. He comes off the ice with a big smile on his face all the time."
Regular season for the team wraps up Feb. 5. At Christmas break, the team was in ninth place out of 22 Atom teams, putting it into a tougher division.
"We're playing the teams that have done better in the first half of the year," MacDougall said."I'm pretty proud of them."
Atom C2
The Atom C2 Blasters lived up to their name Jan. 23 and blew away their North Vancouver rivals 6-4.
"We were ahead of them 5-1 at one point," said Scott Melville, the team coach.
Malik Kaila scored a hat trick for the team, and goalie Nick Lowe stayed on top of the puck. Melville said there was good defence from Ryan Kiesling and Rachel Melville.
But credit for the .500 season goes to the whole team.
"The team responds well," Melville said. "They're a great bunch of kids."
Melville puts a strong focus on the team by having a special team award so after every game a player who made a significant contribution gets recognized with a Hat Trick Hunter Team Canada figure.
"It's something extra to make the kids feel part of the team," Melville said. "Every kid has won it this year once."
But the teamwork extends to the assistant coaches, parents and team managers who help out when Melville, who does shift work, can't make it to the rink.
"I think the real strength of the team is a commitment from the assistant coaches. It's a team effort all the way around."
As for the upcoming playoffs, Melville said the team is going to win it all.
"I believe in these kids. The coach is the biggest fan."
Atom C3
The Atom C3 team was off to a slow start, but has upped the ante in recent weeks. "Since the Christmas tour they've been playing a lot better," said Tony Mahood, the team's head coach. "They're starting to click into how to play the game now."
The team hasn't lost a game since the Christmas tour, and has knocked off some of the top teams, Mahood said.
The team has many first year players who have missed three years of hockey.
"It's challenging when up against second year kids," Mahood said. "At that age a year makes a huge difference."
The Squamish team faced Whistler Jan. 15 and tied the score at four each.
"They have some really good players on that team," Mahood said. "They don't have an Atom Rep team."
Kyle Luca and Zack Sanderson each scored a goal and second year player Stuart Beckett sunk two pucks into the Whistler net.
"He's one of our leaders on the team that we look to to have a good game out of," Mahood said.
Ryan Milia "played a really excellent game," Mahood added. "He's not that great of a skater, but he's really coming on."
The only has three games left in regular season before playoff start. Mahood doesn't know what will happen.
"I think it's pretty wide open. The games we've played all year have been all pretty close. You just don't know from one game to the next."
