During the March 22 weekend, 12 Castlegar hockey players ventured into the Inland Northwest to play Canada’s winter sport. The Castlegar Penthouse Peeps were headed south to hunt for a title that had so far proved elusive.
The first game was against a home town powerhouse, the Spokane Danglers. No doubt due to nerves, many of the Castlegar team were on wobbly legs for the first game. The nerves almost got the better of them when an early miscommunication resulted in a breakaway only eight seconds into the game.
However, Castlegar’s goalie was ready for the task and shut down the early chance and every chance that followed. The coach used positivity and enthusiasm to spur the players on by quickly identifying small nuances each player could improve upon during the game. From the choice of laces to the right way to receive a pass, no detail was overlooked. The end result was a hard fought 7-0 win to open the tournament.
The win signified a new beginning for a team that had failed to win this tournament the last two years. The team enjoyed a small celebration to appreciate the efforts of everyone involved. With a 12:45 p.m. start on Saturday, they could take a breath and savour the victory.
On Saturday, the challenge came from the Yakima 5th Line Brew. Now playing on the larger of the two available ice surfaces, the team had to dig deep with all the extra room for skating. The players worked hard and had good results doubling up Yakima 6-3. The tournament win was like a lighthouse for the blind calling to them with only one game remaining.
The final game, with the tournament possibly on the line, was against Spokane Police/Fire. This was a big tough squad featuring at least one 1991 Memorial Cup champion. The team jumped out to an early lead with a great effort from the checking line. After taking a 2-0 lead the team sat back a little and paid the price. Some questionable calls (or waived off non-calls) sparked the Fire and a comeback was on the way.
One notable play left a member of Castlegar looking for lost equipment on the ice after a goal. This resulted in a 4-2 lead for Spokane with 10 minutes to play. But this Castlegar team was not done yet, battling back to tie the game on a goal by the very same player missing equipment only a few minutes before.
A late goal by a noted speedster gave the Peeps the lead with only four minutes to play. At times it felt like they were up against the opposing team, the refs and even the lines on the ice. Alas, the game was not meant to be as the Spokane Police/Fire answered the call and scored 2 late goals taking a 6-5 lead and holding off a relentless assault in the final minute.
The Castlegar Penthouse Peeps and the Spokane Police/Fire had identical 2-1 records with the Castlegar team taking the lowest penalty minute tie breaker to claim the tournament win. A good clean tournament by the team had helped them accomplish their goal.
The tournament would not have been a success for the Castlegar Penthouse Peeps without GM and tournament scoring leader Jeff Evdokimoff. Jeff managed to get 19 points in the games while also organizing the roster, purchasing/delivering sport drink, and individually hand washing all jerseys.
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