麻豆社区

Coach Kerry Pettitt of the Midget Mustangs says last weekend's tournament in Lethbridge, Alta. was another building block for his club.

The Mustangs went 1-1-1 in the round robin, missing the cut for the semi-final round by one point, and perhaps just a period.

When the Mustangs hit the ice Friday for their first game against the Lethbridge Hockey Hounds, they didn't hit it as hard as they could have, Pettitt said in an interview this morning.

Jamie Tetlichi opened the scoring for the Mustangs early in the first period but the Hounds responded with three unanswered goals with just over six minutes to play in the opening frame.

The host team stretched the lead to 5-1 early in the second, but Kole Comin kept the lights on for the Mustangs, scoring with 7:27 remaining in the second.

The Mustangs shutout the Hounds in the third while scoring three to register a tie.

Jarrett Malchow scored twice in the third, including the tying goal with six minutes to play. Mike Arnold made it 5-4 with eight minutes to play.

"We were a little short on consistency,鈥� said Pettitt. "However, in a couple of games when we needed a push, it was there.鈥�

The third period surge against Lethbridge, including two power play goals in the third, was an example of the punch the Mustangs can deliver when they're on their game.

He said had they come out that way in the first, they could have won, and perhaps advanced to the semis.

"It all comes down to experience, and having games under your belt,鈥� said the head coach.

Pettitt said the club's 6-0 loss to the Maple Leaf Athletic Club in Edmonton proved to be valuable learning experience the Mustangs will take with them to Port Alberni, B.C. for the Midget Tier 3 provincial championships next month.

The Maple Leaf Athletics, he said, is a topnotch double A team that operates on a voracious two-one-two offence: two forecheckers in deep, one forechecker high and pair of defencemen ready to pinch in a heartbeat. The Edmonton Oilers used to use the 2-1-2 press years ago, Pettitt points out.

"It can be frustrating to be playing if you've never experienced it,鈥� Pettitt said of the relentless forecheck. "But in the third period they did not score on use. We did not score, but they didn't score on us.

"It was a learning experience, that was the silver lining in the loss. We got to learn from it and that was the experience factor.鈥�

The Mustangs went on to defeat the T2 Aeros of Regina 9-1 on the strength of five goals by Arnold to finish out the round robin.

They defeated the Olds, Alta. Grizzlies 5-3 in the consolation round to finish fifth in the eigth-team tournament, with Arnold scoring another pair.

Pettitt said with the rest of the season playing in the Whitehorse Recreational Hockey League, including the Rendezvous tournament, he's confident the club will be ready for Port Alberni.

"I think the team is moving in the direction we need to go,鈥� he said. "And I'm hoping we peak at our potential and if we do I think we'll have a pretty good provincials.鈥�

The Eastmen Selects of Manitoba defeated Edmonton's Athletics 3-1 in the final.