The Sundre peewee A Huskies came out on top following their recent home tournament.
"The boys faced a little adversity, but they managed to push through and took first place," said coach Nathan McCullough.
The event, which including the hosts saw six teams battling for supremacy at the Sundre Arena on Dec. 8-10, went well, McCullough told the Round Up last week.
"The competition was extremely close ó most of the games were one- or two- goal games," he said.
The final on Sunday, Dec. 10 was played against Rocky Mountain House. The Huskies were firing on all cylinders and managed to maintain a dominating momentum with a speed advantage that paved the way to a sweeping 5-1 victory, he said.
"They definitely made it their game," the coach said about his team.
"They all did what they were supposed to."
Meanwhile, in the regular Central Alberta Hockey League season, the peewee A Huskies placed in tier 3, and are half a point ahead of Rocky for the top spot in the division, he said, adding the team had as of last week a record of four wins, zero losses and two ties.
"You can't ask for much better than that!"
Steadily improving throughout the season to date, the squad has really developed as a team, he said, adding the players are getting a better understanding of their individual roles within the team.
"They seem to be getting a lot closer."
Some of the players are more skilled in terms of stickhandling and manoeuvering, while others have a more gritty style whereby they're not afraid to use their body to get in front of the net and block shots or the other team's players, he said.
"They're tough kids. They get pushed around and bounce back," he said, adding the different types of players are "learning to complement each other."
The focus during practice has largely revolved around breakouts and establishing a flow for smoother plays that make the Huskies a harder team to play against, he said.
"It's a team effort."
As much as practice helps to hone the Huskies' skills, cheering fans also provide an important morale boost that helps carry the team even further, he said.
"The support we get from the community is huge. It doesn't go unnoticed ó means a lot to the kids and the association," he said, adding that although not necessarily packed to capacity, the tournament was nevertheless well attended.
"When the community comes together like that and gets behind the kids like they do, it sure boosts spirits."
The next tournament will be hosted by the Sundre peewee B Huskies on Jan. 5-7.
