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It's been a terrific season for the Eastman Selects U15 AAA Female hockey team and they'll look for the story book ending tonight in the fifth and deciding game of the finals in Niverville.
Head Coach Trevor Hildebrand says his players are ready and as a coach, he's not feeling too anxious just yet. "You know, it's exciting but we've had a couple nights to sleep on things. I'm sure the players and coaches haven't gotten full, restful sleeps just yet."
Taking a step back to reflect on the final series to this point, Hildebrand is proud of his group and says getting to this point has been pretty entertaining. "Two close teams that are pretty evenly matched up. We play a similar style and the lineups are similar as far as strengths go. Games one and two both went into overtime, so clearly super tight. They got game one, but we were able to push back in game two and even things up. Same thing with games three and four. Both tight games right till the end. Game three was 1-1 until the third but we earned some bounces and created some separation, then in game four, we knew Central Plains were not going to roll over and they pushed back pretty hard. So, here we are, a winner take all situation."
The bench boss says he's already talked to the team about what this moment could mean. "We've reminded the players that this is something you dream about. It's kind of cliche, but players want to be in a winner take all game. If we can bring it tonight, it'll be fantastic."
Hildebrand is looking to do what the U18 AAA Female Selects did and for one his players to be a hero like Sophia Heidinger was in double overtime. "We have a number of players on our team that have older sisters on the U18 team," he says with a smile. "Pretty much our whole team was there to support that team and witness that goal, that game and that celebration. A few players mentioned how it was inspiring and cool, it makes them want to live it themselves. We've talked about how we have to show up, anything can happen so it's about executing at this point. It's about puck management, limiting mistakes and being ready to go."
Having the game at the CRRC is a treat for Hildebrand and the players. "It's pretty exciting for our group," the coach says proudly. "I mean, our home barn for the bulk of this season has been in Ste. Agathe and the support has been amazing all season, but there's some capacity limitations. Now getting to game five, all eyes are on both teams, so having the opportunity to play in Niverville, we're hoping for a good turnout. It'll be a fun game, it'll be easy for the players to get up for the game and hopefully we can put on a good show."
While some of the players may have a game day routine, Hildebrand does not. "Nope, I guess I don't," he says with a chuckle before continuing, "I guess I just limit the coffee intake so I can have a clear mind and make sound decisions when push comes to shove. I do change my underwear come playoff time, I put new ones one every day. I just leave the superstitions to the players."
The Eastman Selects vs the Central Plains Capitals game is at 7:00 p.m. at the CRRC in Niverville.