Junior C Hunters facing tough test

For the Junior C Hunters, getting to the playoffs in your first year of existence, with a young team - especially compared to their first-round opponent North Shore Kodiaks - could already be considered impressive enough.

Down 2-0, and facing elimination on Thursday night, after The Eastern Door’s publishing deadline, Kahnawake isn’t just running out the string.

Instead, they are hoping to give North Shore a run for their money, as they did in their first game, a 14-9 loss on Sunday night.

“We knew it was going to be a battle between the teams, we don’t get along with each other,” said Hunters’ defender Stone McGregor.

In their three regular season meetings, the Kodiaks won by an average of nine goals - but those were all in the team’s first handful of games, while they were still trying to figure themselves out, right at the bottom of the learning curve head coach Eric Jacobs has used throughout the season to illustrate the team’s growth.

In the first two periods of game one, they showed that they were not that same team, being tied at four after one period and down by just three by the time the third period started.

“I think the compete level was a little higher in that game, maybe a little bit more confidence,” said Jacobs.

While they were not able to erase North Shore’s lead, they had something to build on for game two on Tuesday night.

Instead, they had a game to forget.

North Shore scored six unanswered goals in the first period, and Kahnawake didn’t get its first goal until Tehahente Albany got them on the board at 17:51 of the second period.

The Kodiaks would score eight more times, and Kahnawake only thrice more, as they took game two 14-4.

Jacobs said that as the Hunters were warming up, he and the rest of the coaching staff could already feel something was off.

“Everything just didn’t seem to be in sync right off the bat,” said Jacobs.

McGregor agreed with his coach’s assessment.

“The second game, we came out flat footed, and we lost the game before the faceoff even happened,” he said.

“We didn’t play at our pace and they just ran all over us.”

For game three, their first game of the series at home at the Sports Complex, Jacobs wants his team to take things one game at a time.

Even if North Shore’s older, more experienced team is favoured on paper, they should not treat Thursday’s game like a foregone conclusion.

“You’re never out until you’re officially out. Every game is a whole new game. If we can pull together and pull out a win there, maybe we’ll gain some confidence and we’ll play another game,” said Jacobs.

“People from the outside believe in the team, the capabilities that we have. The kids have to start believing it. You have to go through the aches and pains of growing.”

At the very least, McGregor and fellow defender Shatekaienthokwen Van Dommelen are on board with their coach’s vision.

“I think we just need to stay out of the penalty box and play at a high level like we know we all can, work as a team and just go out there and be better them and hopefully get a win,” said Van Dommelen.

“We need to keep our heads up and play at our pace as a team, and show we can compete with this team even as a younger team,” said McGregor.

“As an individual, for tonight’s game I see it as I have to keep playing my role on this team and make sure my boys are ready to go for 60 minutes.”

If the Hunters do win against the Kodiaks, game four will be Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Sports Complex. If the Hunters win that one, they’ll have a chance at the reverse sweep on Sunday at 2 p.m. on the road.

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