Great Weekend in McCall

We had our first home regular season games up in McCall this weekend, and it was a great time.  We won both of our games, the first 5-2 and the second 10-2, against the Park City Moose.  On Friday night, we did not play our best.  The game was sloppy--we controlled most of the game--but we just didn't have enough intensity or bite to our game.  On Saturday night, we came out of the gates ready to work.  We had a team meeting after our pre-game skate in the morning, and we told ourselves we were going to make a commitment to having a team effort and flat-out outworking the other team.  To motivate ourselves, we had a little game going to see who on our team could get the most hits.  I ended up tying for the lead with one other kid. We definitely outworked the other team, and it showed.  We weren't afraid to get dirty and drive to the net for garbage goals.  That's the kind of Steelhead hockey we need to start playing every night.  Our team is still trying to find its identity, but I think we're on our way.

Justin and I got to stay with a very nice couple on Friday night after the game.  They treated us very well, and they'll probably end up being our McCall billets for the rest of the year; they loved having us, and we had a great time staying there as well.

After the first period of the game on Saturday night, there was a ring ceremony for returning veterans.  Our team owner handed out rings to returning players from our WSHL championship team last year.  It was a pretty special ceremony, and, again, we're very lucky to have the great people we have running the organization.  We're spoiled.  I don't think there is another team at this level in the whole country that runs as professionally as we do.  And I'm proud to be an Idaho Junior Steelhead.