The Northeast BC/Yukon Trackers Midgets are in the semi-finals of the BC U-18 Tier 1 Championships in Surrey, finishing the round robin portion of the tournament with two wins and a tie.
The draw, in Game 1 against Ridge Meadows on Sunday, saw the Trackers go down an early 3-0 after 20 minutes before rallying with three of their own in the next twenty minutes.
The game would end 3-3 scoreless in the third and without overtime in the round robin.
“Nerves got the better of this younger group in the first half, head coach Gerard Dicaire said. We went into the (locker room) and calmed things down, hit the reset button and the boys are came out shooting.”
Dicaire also adds that many kids didn’t play on the big stage, with two years of Covid, and weren’t on the team when the Trackers won the championship in 2019, the last time BC Hockey held. its provincial championships.
The nerves were gone for Games 2 and 3 with a 2-0 shutout against Victoria on Monday and a 7-5 decision against the East Kootenays on Tuesday.
One of the highlights of this year’s tournament was the play of Reid Arberry, who registered four goals and two assists in three games.
“Reid is game in and game out. He’s a guy I can count on.” says Dicarus. “He’s fit, so he can handle the minutes I throw at him. He does a bit of everything.”
The Trackers will face Cloverdale on Wednesday for a chance to play the gold medal game on Wednesday night.
“(Cloverdale) plays a very physical game for a southern team, which is out of the ordinary,” Decaire said. “I think after two games they have something like 107 penalty minutes.”
It’s an early start for both teams, with a puck drop scheduled for 8 a.m.
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