The U18 AA NorthEast Wolfpack are in desperate need of points following a 4-2 loss in Prince Albert Tuesday.
Still seven points back of a playoff spot with just eight games left to play, the pressure is on to rack up two points consistently, as quickly and as often as possible.
“We’re at that desperation point right now, we have some games against some teams lower in the standings than us, so we need to make sure we secure those points. We’ve also been telling the boys that we need to take some points from some teams that are higher in the standings as well,” said head coach Bill Eastcott.
“It’s just going to come down to work ethic and other things like that that we can control. We want to put pucks in the back of the net, support our goalies and play the very best we can for 60 minutes of hockey.”
The Wolfpack have now played the Prince Albert Lake Country Timberwolves twice this season, falling 5-4 earlier this month (Jan. 8) back in Melfort, as well as last night in P.A.
According to Eastcott, consistency and getting off to a better start are both keys for the rest of the season.
“Just needed to match their energy earlier in the game and make sure we’re mentally focused right off the get-go. They came out hard at home, and we just needed to be able to match their intensity. They’re fighting hard too and they want to get as high as they can in the playoffs. We need to be ready to go moving forward and know what’s on the line for us the rest of the way,” he added.
“Just consistent play and getting better at every level. There are games where we outplay teams badly, and unfortunately, just can’t find ways to score goals, and then we give up a couple, and it’s hard to get them back. The last few games, we’ve been really focused on on playing hard right to the end, and we’re seeing some results. We’re just scrapping away, digging away, and trying to get into that last playoff spot.”
The NorthEast team, which features players from Melfort, Tisdale, Nipawin, Porcupine Plain, Hudson Bay, and even as far north as Creighton, currently hold a record of 7-16-2, good for 16 points through 25 games.
A collection of players who might soon finish their hockey careers, while others are still trying to jump to U18 AAA, Junior A or B, or even further, now is the time to come together for one last push, in hopes of extending their season as much as they can.
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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com
On X @BenTompkins_8
