If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.
That's the task in front of the Northland Dodge Cougars today as they face off against the defending B.C. Female triple-A midget league champion Fraser Valley Phantom in Games 1 and 2 of the final championship series at Kin 1.
"We've had three practices this week and we're pretty stoked to play," said Cougars head coach Mario Desjardins.
"They're the defending champions for the last three years and we're ready to play. The Phantom are a well-coached teams and they have improved in the last while. We've taken most of the play to them this season but the playoffs is a different scenario."
The Langley-based Phantom, who finished third in the regular season with a 13-13-4 record, arrive in Prince George after winning both of their quarter-final and semifinal playoff rounds. They defeated the Kootenay Wildcats 2-1 in a best-of-three quarter-final series and upset the second-place West Coast Avalanche 2-1 in a best-of-three semifinal series last weekend.
The Cougars, the top team in the league all season, swept the Thompson-Okanagan Lakers 2-0 last weekend at home to advance to the final championship this weekend. Game 1 is at 8:45 a.m., while Game 2 is at 5 p.m. today. Game 3, if necessary is Sunday at 11:45 a.m.
"We'll approach the Game 1 like any other game and hopefully we have 20 girls who are ready to compete and we'll make adjustments for Game 2," said Desjardins, adding he's met up with Phantom head coach Al Wozney several times in B.C. Cup finals in the past.
'We'll be matching lines and both of us are well aware of each other's team."
