The U13 Kitimat Winter Hawks were rewarded with a parade through their hometown after winning gold in the U13 Tier 4 Provincial hockey tournament. Though their season started out much like the day with two losses in a row, the team went eight one and won in their next ten games, finishing off the season with an impressive 12 three and one record. The coaches know just how important the support of the community is to the success of the team.
“I think the community itself, like we had a lot of sponsors supporting us. We did a lot of fundraising and, you know, people in the community really came out and supported us and that's appreciated and it's nice to have the community stand behind us and even better for us to achieve a banner to bring home to hang in our arena”. – Eric Byrne – Assistant Coach, U13 Kitimat Winterhawks
“Very proud. I'm a proud father, a proud coach, a proud person of Kitimat and this community. It's just jubilation for me”. – Blaine Markwart – Head Coach, U13 Kitimat Winterhawks
The parade brought fans from near and far to send well-wishes and congratulations to the team, with the team being paraded literally around Kitimat with the help of the Kitimat Fire and Rescue, creating a memorable time for everyone.
“And the fans came out. You could see it in people's faces. They're proud of us, waving and shaking bells and screaming and hollering. It was pretty great. All that support. – Aaron Von Schleinitz, Assistant Coach, U13 Kitimat Winterhawks
The Champions hope to continue on their winning ways next season, with their eyes set on a repeat performance at the provincial level.
