Numbers told a lot of the story.
While the Burnaby Lakers fell 3-0 in the peewee C provincial final, the skeleton crew of 11 Burnaby players plus a goalie gave it their all.
Going up against Comox Valley, which had a full complement of 17 players at its disposal throughout the tourney, would look like a formidable challenge, but Burnaby’s boys didn’t look at it that way.
“We had a great group of boys who worked hard all tournament,” remarked coach Dan Krstic. “Most teams ran three lines and had extra players, but we didn’t have that luxury. Everyone contributed.”
The Lakers entered the provincials on a roll, having gone 19-0 through the regular season. It continued into the playdowns and at the provincials until an 8-2 preliminary loss to Comox.
To play five games in three days with a small roster, the team needed to play smart, disciplined ball and avoid injuries. Luck, which in either form always is a factor in these games, was also required.
It took a huge team effort in the semifinal, where they outlasted the West Kootenay rival 3-2 and had to kill a five-minute major during a crucial part of the third period.
In the final Burnaby banged a couple shots off the post and scored a goal that the referees disallowed, but when the final whistle blew the coaches and parents were extremely proud of the players who limited the opposition to three goals.
They matched them nearly in scoring chances, with Comox holding a slim 25-21 edge in shots.
“We held our own but unfortunately you can’t argue with the officials,” noted Krstic, a first-year coach. “(The players) were all battered and bruised... I call this group the ‘Warriors,’ because they never quit.”
