CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Prince Edward Island’s major midget hockey teams begin the quest to be the province’s representative at the Atlantic championship tonight.
“Everyone knows what’s at stake, we’re not going to downplay that,” Charlottetown Bulk Carriers Pride head coach Luke Beck said. “It’s important for our group just to focus on what gives us the best opportunity to win Game 1.”
The Pride hits the road for tonight’s opener with the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series is set for 7:30 p.m.
RELATED: Click here for a story on the Wild.
The Pride (17-13-5) completed the regular season fourth in the six-team New Brunswick/Prince Edward Island Major Midget Hockey League. Charlottetown enters the playoffs on a six-game winning streak, including a 3-2 come-from-behind overtime win over the Wild in Charlottetown on Feb. 15.
“We got a lot of confidence out of that game, but all that is behind us now and it’s a new season starting this week,” Summerside native Nicholas Reeves, who is in his first season with the Pride, said Tuesday morning before practice. “Nothing from the past means anything anymore.”
RELATED: Click here for a feature on Reeves
The Pride jumped out to a 3-1 series lead last year before the Wild stormed back to win three straight games to capture the title. Beck said about half his team is returning guys, but it’s a new year and while it’s a different series there could be some similarities.
“There will be lots of highs and lots of lows and whoever can respond to them the quickest, and be prepared for the next game, will probably have the advantage at the end,” he said.
Beck said his team has to work hard and play with emotion but not cross that line.
“When we toe it, we’ve proven that we can compete with anyone in Atlantic Canada,” he said.
The Pride will go with Erik MacInnis in the crease in tonight’s opener. He sustained a knee injury and missed the first half of the season.
Beck said the initial prognosis was he would miss five to six months.
“We knew that if there was any kid that would be able to rebound from that it’d be Erik,” said Beck, noting the goalie is very mature and driven. “Kris MacPhee had to kick him out of the gym at Synergy throughout his rehab because he was in there so much.”
Ben Parent played well during the season, and Beck said the team is confident in both netminders.
