It was a disappointing end to the season for Prince George Mohawks.
The men's senior triple-A hockey team was in Fort St. John last week to take a shot at the Savage Cup provincial championship. However injuries and a short bench meant the team was in no shape to take on the host Fort St. John Flyers. The Mohawks lost the two-game, total-goals-scored final 16-0.
"We had 16 skaters on Friday, but four guys went down with injuries. We had 12 guys last night," Mohawks assistant captain Brent Williams said on Sunday. "They've got a roster of 25-26 guys who were all there. They've got an army that is prepared to go to war, and we weren't prepared to match that."
The team lost 6-0 on Friday night and on Saturday, with only 12 healthy skaters, 10-0.
Williams said some of the Mohawks team members had university exams and couldn't make the tournament, which ran Tuesday to Saturday. Injuries, including a concussion and Williams's pulled groin, left them with even fewer players on the ice.
"We'd had close games with [the Flyers] all season. We thought we had a pretty good chance," Williams said.
"[But] it's difficult playing that much hockey with so few bodies. You know if you're going as hard as you can, you won't have much in the tank for later."
In addition, the Mohawks play primarily recreational hockey - with no hitting allowed. The Flyers play in the board-bashing, rough-and-tumble North Peace Hockey League.
"They won more battles than we did," Williams said. "We're not as battle-seasoned as they are."
In round-robin play, the Mohawks lost 10-2 to the Flyers and beat the Penticton Vees 9-0. The Vees were eliminated from the tournament for fielding an ineligible player in their loss to Prince George.
