Sooke’s struggling Midget A Thunderbirds need to get back to a solid work ethic to attain the same degree of success they saw last year, says head coach Kevin Berger.
And that will take focus.
The local Vancouver Island Hockey Association team dropped a 5-1 decision to Juan de Fuca on Sunday and managed a 2-2 tie against the Saanich Braves on Saturday.
“Everybody needs to be on the same page,” a disappointed Berger said after Sunday’s loss.
“We need to focus. I’ll take some blame for the weekend, but the players need to be ready to play.”
Berger felt his team could have won both weekend games, but the players “outplayed themselves.”
The Thunderbirds were also short-handed with Jack Kendall called up to Major Midget, one player out due to injury and another on a hunting trip.
The team returned to practice on Monday where Berger was preaching a strong work ethic – read: practice hard, be ready for the game – and expecting his young charges to focus.
It will serve the Thunderbirds well to listen as they face their toughest challenge of the young season as they head on the road with stops in Cowichan Valley and Port Alberni this weekend.
In other minor hockey scores from the weekend, the Sooke Atom A trounced VRC B2 12-1 and then lost to Kerry Park 11-3; Sooke Midget Female got past Cowichan Valley 7-2; Sooke Bantam C2 drew to a 2-1 with Saanich C3; and Victoria C2 beat Sooke Pee Wee C3 10-3.
klaird@blackpress.ca