by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
WHITEWATER REGION (Cobden) — The Whitewater Kings are hoping to continue their winning streak in two games this weekend.
They play against the Westport Rideaus in the Westport Arena Friday night at 8 p.m. and then at home Saturday night against the Casselman Vikings at 7 p.m. in the Astrolabe Arena in Cobden.
Coach Daryl Faught is looking forward to this weekend’s games, knowing they will test his players.
“They’re two of the top teams in the league,” he said. “They are the class of the league.
“We have some injured players, so it’s going to be an uphill battle for us.”
The injured Kings are Jonathan Ready, Michael Hubers and Reid Barber.
He noted Casselman has 12 20-year-old players.
“You’re going up against veteran teams, so it’s going to be a very good effort for us to come out with a win against those teams, but it’s not impossible,” Coach Faught stressed.
The Kings are currently in fourth place in the Richardson Division of the CCHL2, with 18 points after 14 games. Their record is nine wins and five losses. The Kings are five points away from top spot, but that team has played three more games than the Kings.
In recent action, the Kings defeated the Athens Aeros 5-3 in Athens and at home Saturday night blew away the Brockville Tikis 11-4. However, a week ago, it was a different game, with the Kings just edging the Tikis 5-3, Coach Faught said.
“Everybody in the league can play with one another, even if you only have two wins,” he said. “Basically, sometimes a team just doesn’t show up, they’re having an off night.
“We were just fortunate that night the puck was bouncing for us and going in and good things were happening.”
In the Athens game, Lawson Leclaire and Jacob McIntyre earned Star 1 and 3 respectively and there were 145 fans in the arena. In the home game, there were 152 fans in the stands and all three stars were awarded to Kings players, namely Jacob McIntyre, Peter White and Gage Tremblay.
In this weekend’s matchups, the teams have many veteran players, compared to the Kings, which is a fairly young team, Coach Faught said. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t do well.
He noted the young team has actually surprised the whole league by doing as well as it has, he said.
“We hoped to play 50/50 hockey, but we didn’t expect to be…,” he said. “I can’t say we didn’t expect, but it’s very good. It’s a very competitive league.”
As for himself, Coach Faught said compared to the start of the year, “I didn’t have such good expectations, but as we practice more, and they sort of got used to me and I got used to them, coming from where they played different type systems and everything, I’m not surprised.
“We do have a lot of talent and they’re very eager to compete,” he said. “I’m surprised from when I first laid eyes on them, but now, you can say we sort of expect that they will win every game, we have a good chance to win.”
He said the team’s greatest strength is they play good defensive hockey, because that style of play gives them the offensive chances.
While the players have been in the top 10 for various stats, Jacob McIntyre is currently the only King in the top 10 and that’s in the final spot with 22 points.
“That’s good,” Coach Faught said. “Sixteen teams times 18, and you’re in the top 10, you’re doing very well.”
There are seven goalies tied for sixth spot and Kings’ goalie Darian McTavish is one of them with five wins and two losses and is in ninth spot with 421 minutes and a 2.99 goals against average.
Coach Faught said he is glad to see the number of fans at the Astrolabe Arena. While it would be nice to see more fans in the stands, he noted at many away games, there are less than 50 fans in the stands.
“Compared to the rest of the league, we really have good attendance,” he said.
To continue their winning ways, the Kings have to give more than 100 percent, Coach Faught said.
“You can’t take any team in the league lightly,” he said. “You have to come and give 110 percent every night. You have to be able to compete. If everybody doesn’t bring their A game, you’re not going to win the hockey games.
“We probably have to work harder than other teams because we’re young and we’re not as experienced.”
There is a 54-game schedule and there’s hope the Whitewater Kings will make the playoffs, Coach Faught said.
