My favorite part is when the Coach Mike Lewis is motivating the California Wave players in the locker room. “From the drop, to the stop, do not quit! Get it in your hearts, get it in your minds, from this day forward guys we roll!”

I played Sunday’s game at Polar Ice Gilbert, against the Tucson Stampede Squirt B team with this quote stuck in my head. It worked out really well for me. I had a total of 4 points with 2 goals and 2 assists. One of our centers was sick and I played every other shift; I was really in the game, I set up plays, made passes and had a handful of shots on goal. I was motivated!!

My Coach told us after that game that it was the first time in the Sonoran Youth Hockey League that a Mite Team had beaten a Squirt Team. Pretty Impressive for a bunch of Mite A Players. The final score was 7-4.

Some Highlights from the game:

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The Jr. Coyotes blue line and one of our defense players attended a private hockey lesson earlier today with Dusty Collins at Oceanside Ice Arena. Dusty is the only native-Arizonan to be drafted into the National Hockey League.  Dusty played for the Phoenix Coyotes  (NHL) AA affiliate, The Arizona Sun Dogs in the Central Hockey League.

It was a great practice and he is so nice. He gave us a really good work out, and had great drills. We will be working with Dusty once a week until the end of September when he leaves for the San Antonio Rampage. Good Luck Dusty!!

Dallas Tournament 2008

Going to Dallas, was the BEST! That tournament was my favorite so far. Being on a travel team, you usually attend a few out of state games. We went to Dallas in January 2008. It was really cold! Our games were held at the Dr. Pepper Star Center. This tournament was so much fun and so organized. We started the MLK weekend off by attending a pin swap ceremony on the ice. Players bring their team pins and trade with other players. It is a chance while skating in warm ups, to meet other players and get to know each other before the tournament begins the next day. I came home with a nice collection of pins.

This tournament was really exciting for me as a Mite, I was playing against my old teammates from the Phoenix Polar Bears . It was great seeing my hockey friends and coaches again, but hard to be playing against them. This game was so much fun! I scored 2 goals and my team the Jr. Panthers won the game. We finished the tournament in second place.

The highlight for me however, was attending a NHL Dallas Stars game. It was OVER the top!! Dallas fans are crazy about hockey. The arena was so LOUD and the way the star drops down and the players come out onto the ice, was so awesome. It was the best NHL experience I have had yet. Nothing beats seeing Marty Turco upclose.  I think everyone should experience a Dallas Stars game at least once in their lifetime, I am happy I did.