There’s nothing like a sudden-death playoff game to get a hockey player’s blood pumping.
That’s the situation the Panago Peewee A Tyees face as they attempt to take the next step in defending their Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey League Tier 2 title.
The Tyees host the Saanich Braves on Saturday, 12:15 p.m., in a one-game, semi-final at the Rod Brind’Amour Arena.
If the Tyees are victorious, they advance to a best-of-three Island championship series against either Oceanside or Juan de Fuca.
Campbell River beat Saanich 12-2 and 8-4 in their two regular season meetings, but they won’t be taking the Braves lightly.
“Saanich is a very good team. They are extremely physical and we have to be ready to play,” said Tyees’ assistant coach Vince Devlin.
The Tyees warmed up for their big playoff game by attending the 40th annual Coca-Cola International Peewee Tournament in Vernon last weekend
They finished runner-up in the C division but, more importantly, gained memories that will last a lifetime.
“It was the best minor hockey tournament I’ve ever been involved in,” said Devlin. “Not only did they look after the players, but they also made sure the parents, coaches, and managers had a good time. It was very well organized and overall an excellent experience.”
The Tyees competed against some top-ranked Tier 1 teams including the Simons Valley Rebels, currently the number one peewee team in Calgary. In the ‘C’ final they were edged 3-2 by the Spokane Junior Chiefs.