Tlačové správy

The storybook ending wasn't there for the Royal City Redshift. Waves of support from all over the world poured in for the division 2 team that found itself on a grand stage in Canadian hockey. They knocked off four division one powerhouses in a row, but were two goals short in the final game, taking home second in this year's national cup.

"It was still an amazing experience. It was a game we'll never forget that's for sure" said Braden Debeau, captain and lone National Team player. "The guys battled hard. We played a good road game once again. In the end though, it game down to execution. We had the powerplay chances early and couldn't score. It's hard to come back once you're down on the road. Newts gave us a chance to win. He always does, we wanted to win this one for him."

Newton made 33 saves in the game while his opponent directed 15 of the 16 he faced aside.

"I surrendered two in quick succession in the first. You need a sound first period on the road. If they get one, they can't get another. You have to give them credit though. They're a fantastic team and made us work for everything we got. They played really hard and very well" said Newton.

Les Sanguinaires were certainly no strangers to the penalty box, taking ten minutes in penalties but getting away with several more plays that even Les Sanguinaires fans were certain deserved a penalty.

"We don't want to blame this on the ref. Had we executed on the powerplay early on it wouldn't matter what he called or didn't call. Sure some things maybe should have gone the other way but that's sports. We just need to be happy with what we've accomplished. It's a fantastic achievement and will help the growth of the franchise immensely. We are a very proud organization these days" said canucks357. "Perhaps the best feeling was that of the support from everyone around us. The world really took notice of our run and the support from people in countries all over the world was really humbling. We are really privileged to have such fantastic fans and friends around the world. We could not ask for anything more than that."

So what is next for the Redshift? With playoffs around the corner and the Redshift a solid 3 wins up on second place one would expect management to rest some of their stronger players, however, they have promised to play as hard through the end of the season as they have through the rest to keep it as fair for other teams fighting for position.

"We will rest some guys, but we won't be running any training camps during the season. We respect the efforts of teams battling game in and game out and don't want to impact the standings just because we can coast to the finish line. Newts will get some time off in preparation for playoffs, but we have 3 other capable goalies that can easily carry the workload" said the head coach. "We'll be running as if business as usual, but we're aware of our playoff limitations due to this National Cup run, which has been tiresome for all involved."

Fans will always remember this run by the Redshift - one likely not to be repeated by the club for years to come. They'll be treated to some fantastic hockey next season, with the Cup Winners' Cup having games take place in Guelph at Veterans Memorial Arena. Time will tell how management approaches this competition. Will they unload veterans and go with youth next season as planned, or load up on experience in an attempt to have some success on the international stage? Time will tell. In the meantime, despite the loss. Moral is very high among the Redshift, management and their fans.

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