After an undefeated run at bantam rep tier three provincials, Terrace skated away with second place, after losing to Quesnel in the gold medal match March 23 in Burnaby.
“[It was] a bit of a heart breaker,” said coach Jesse Schroeder.
The game saw a major comeback for Quesnel, as Terrace held a strong lead throughout the game, going into the third period 5-1.
“The good and bad part about the game of hockey is it’s all about momentum, and it can shift and it shifts in a hurry,” said Schroeder. “They (Quesnel) had the momentum and they ran with it.”
This is the second year in a row the two teams have faced off for provincial gold. Last year, Terrace beat Quesnel 9-2 at bantam tier three provincials in Smithers.
“We’ve got a good rivalry with Quesnel from last year,” Schroeder said. “They came back against us, and they deserve a lot of credit.”
The gold medal game was the only loss for Terrace throughout the five-day tournament as the bantams went undefeated against all other teams.
“The kids just played really well, there was a team effort and they played really hard,” Schroeder said.
Provincials started on March 18, and Terrace began its winning streak with a 9-4 victory over Powell River. Game two was an 6-1 victory over Dawson Creek, followed by a 5-0 sweep of the Kamloops team.
Game four saw Terrace taking on Semiahmoo, where they won 6-3, advancing the team on to the semi-finals where Terrace beat Whistler 9-3.
“It’s been a phenomenal year for these boys,” Schroeder said. “They have a lot to be proud about, they have done Terrace proud throughout the year representing the city.”