For some local hockey players it was a roller-coaster tournament at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg.
In Team Pacific’s bid for its first gold medal at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the upstart group lost in the semi-finals to Team USA 6-5 in overtime on Jan. 3. Team Pacific rebounded the following night to claim bronze with a 5-4 overtime win over Team Quebec.
It was an exciting finish to the tournament for Okotoks’ Keaton Lubin and Longview’s Levi Bews – both of whom spent their formative years in the Okotoks Minor Hockey program.
Bews, a 16-year-old who plays for the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades, was disappointed in the outcome but at peace with his club’s effort.
“I thought we had the team that could’ve won that first gold medal for Team Pacific,” he said. “We gave it a hell of a try… There’s not much you can really do. We gave it our all.”
Despite the semi-final loss, the Pacific representatives finished a respectable 3-1-1 in the tournament.
Lubin, a first-year defenceman for the Calgary Hitmen, said Team Pacific’s ability to bounce back from a devastating loss to the USA showed its true character.
“You get refocused and get prepared for what you can control,” the 16-year-old said.
After falling behind 5-1 in last Monday’s semi-final, Pacific rebounded with four goals in the final 30 minutes to force overtime. However, American Nicolas Kerdiles broke the Canadian’s hearts with a goal at 7:24 of overtime.
The next night Team Pacific edged Quebec for the bronze again in dramatic fashion. After falling behind 3-1 Team Pacific began another furious comeback and made it 3-3.
Quebec would take the lead again in the third period with a goal by Dominic Poulin to make it 4-3. However, Pacific’s Hunter Shinkaruk tied it up again with 3:28 left to force overtime.
Brandon Magee would complete the Pacific comeback with a goal just over a minute into the extra frame.
“A medal’s better than nothing. It’s better to win your last game than to lose your last game,” Bews said, after finishing the tournament with a goal and an assist in six games. “We showed a lot of character coming back and that’s what our team’s all about.”
“Bronze is a great accomplishment,” Lubin added.
The ability to come together over such a short period of time is critical to success in a tournament such as the Hockey Challenge, Bews explained.
“We all knew that, from past experiences, the only way that you can be successful in a short-term competition is you have to come together as a team,” said Bews.
As evidenced by their effort in the bronze medal game, the Pacific players showed their resiliency and cohesiveness as a unit.
What also helped was most of the players had crossed paths at some point before in their hockey journeys.
“A lot of the guys know each other from playing against each other or playing with each other so there’s always these bonds before the tournament started,” Lubin said.
After missing the first two games with an injury, Lubin was able to adjust and perform up to his expectations against the best in the world.
As the Hitmen defenceman indicated, the level of play at the Hockey Challenge was comparable to the Western Hockey League.
“It was kind of the same, a little less physical,” he said.
Playing in a tournament against the best in the world gave both local products a boost of confidence heading into the second-half of their WHL seasons.
With the Saskatoon Blades sitting first overall in the WHL, Bews knows the high-pressure experience he gained in Winnipeg will serve him well in an anticipated extended playoff run.
“You feel quite a bit more comfortable coming back,” he said.
With one goal and four points in 29 games, Bews said he knows his role on such a deep Blades squad is to stay within himself and be responsible defensively.
Lubin’s squad currently sits in last place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, 11 points out of a playoff spot. In order to make up ground, the young defenceman will have to step up his game even more. On the heels of playing against the world’s finest, he is ready for the challenge.
“It gives you lots of confidence because you’re top 11 in Alberta for your age,” Lubin added. “It feels like it’s easier to play.”
Both players also acknowledged the boon it was for Okotoks hockey to be represented at such a high-profile event.
“It’s also good for Okotoks hockey that we have two guys from (Okotoks) minor hockey playing at this tournament. It just shows you how much talent there is in Okotoks,” Lubin said.
