A 3-1 loss by the Okanagan Hockey Academy midget varsity squad against Spokane put them eighth in the Penticton Minor Hockey Association midget Tier 2 tournament Sunday.
The OHA lost 3-1 with Alex Krause scoring the lone goal.
“They were right in it, I thought they battled really hard,” said OHA coach Mike Egener. “Our big trouble is scoring goals. I thought the shots were relatively close. Our goalie Kaleb McEachern played really well.”
Egener said it was a good game, but Spokane was able to capitalize on their opportunities.
OHA earned one win in four games and Egener said his team started slow in their first two games.
“The effort and compete level wasn’t there,” he said of the losses to Coquitlam and Burnaby. “We took a lot of stick infraction penalties that ended up costing us.”
Their lone win, 2-1, came against the Langley Eagles in their third match on Saturday. Egener believes they could have finished with different results had they played their first two games like the latter two. The foundation of the squad is built on competing hard with their strong goaltending.
“The battle level has to be up. The work ethic has to be up,” he said. “The main thing for them is they can’t just be turning the switch on and off. They have to compete the same way every game.”
Egener said the teams in the tournament made for even competition.
The tournament featured Mission, Burnaby Winter Club, Port Moody, Vernon, Ridge Meadows, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam and Chilliwack.