Dennis Pisiak just wants his players to compete and have fun during their host 12-team tournament this weekend.
Pisiak, coach of the Penticton bantam Tier 3 Vees, said his group hasn’t faced any of the teams they will meet in their first tournament.
“I really don’t know a lot about any of them,” said Pisiak, whose team plays their first game today against Kamloops in the South Okanagan Events Centre from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. “The kids always look forward to that, playing different teams, instead of the same teams over and over.”
The Vees’ second game is against the North Shore Winter Club Saturday, also at 11:30 a.m. in the SOEC. At 5:45 p.m. that evening, the Vees face Saanich in Memorial Arena. The round-robin portion of the tournament schedule concludes with an 8 p.m. matchup between Kamloops and Abbotsford in Memorial Arena.
Playoffs begin Sunday at 6:30 a.m. in Memorial Arena with the first and fourth-place teams meeting up. The championship game is set for 1:15 p.m. in Memorial Arena. The tournament also features Vernon, Kelowna, Castlegar, Nelson, Cloverdale, Coquitlam and Mission.
Entering the tournament, the Vees have played eight games, six of them being exhibition. In the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association, the Vees have a 1-1 record.