IceHawks showed heart and battled all year. Justin Lacy goes low to check a Chief. (MyBayCity Photo by John Keuvelaar)

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IceHawks Season Comes To A Close

February 27, 2011       Leave a Comment
By: John Keuvelaar

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Saturday night saw the IceHawks home season come to a close. Hosting the Motor City Chiefs at the Dow Event Center, the IceHawks put on a spirited effort but the top rated Chiefs prevailed 10-4.

While the IceHawks didn't enjoy great success this year on the scoreboard, there primary focus is the growth of young talent and getting them ready for the next hockey step in their life. From covering the IceHawks all season, you could see the growth of so many of these players from week to week. There is no question that many are ready to take the next step as their skills have been greatly improved.

As an example of some of the on ice successes, fans saw a local high school sophomore defenseman, enter the season with promising skills and develop them into one of the top young defenseman in the league playing well beyond his years. Goalies that in the early part of the season saw speed and skill on shots that were tough to handle then blossom as they developed the skill and confidence to not only come out of the nets to challenge the skaters but develop the ability to more successfully handle the shots. And we saw local talent take on prominent roles on this team while challenging their abilities on a more national level and for some, being rewarded with a trip to the league all-star game.

It is worth reminding everyone that the Junior leagues are developmental leagues. As GM and owner Colleen Dore noted at the beginning of the season, "Our goal is to develop kids and move them to the Junior A's or college." And while last year's team enjoyed great on ice success and went deep into the playoffs, it also boasted of sending "over 90% of the kids have moved on to either Junior A or college". Undoubtedly, there will be many players from this years team that will have some of the same opportunities available to them should they choose to move on.

Due to their attending local colleges and high schools, several players may choose to return to the IceHawks to continue not only their development but serve as a strong core of veteran Junior league players. This would also be a great thing for the IceHawks as these players can sharpen their playing and leadership skills as they continue their schooling in the local area.

From the opening cruise to the final drop of the puck, it was a fun season and we look forward to the challenges and success that next season will bring. Good luck to all the IceHawks.

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John Keuvelaar
John Keuvelaar is a college student at Midwest Photography Workshops and Delta College. More from John Keuvelaar

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