The plan is to roll for gold.
Naturally, other teams will do their best to foil the intentions of the Cariboo-North East all-stars at the BC Summer Games. But, when it comes to roller hockey, the boys on the northern club are smooth enough on their wheels to contend for the top prize.
"I think we have a chance to go right to the gold-medal game," said head coach Brian Hards. "We should match up pretty well against the other teams.
"We have a lot of top-end forwards and good goaltending," added Hards, who will be assisted by son Kirk Hards and by Lance Truefitt. "I'm thinking we're going to score a lot of goals and I just hope we keep them out of our net. Roller hockey is a skill game and it's not uncommon to see a 10-8 game or a 7-6 game. Really, it's who scores the last goal, or if you can play good defence and get up a couple, you'll probably win the game."
The BC Summer Games will unfold Thursday through Sunday in Surrey.
Cariboo-North East will play twice on Friday, first against North Delta and then against Vancouver-Squamish. On Saturday, Fraser Valley will provide the opposition. The playoff round will follow, and medal winners will be determined on Sunday.
Members of the Cariboo-North East team are: goaltenders Alex Hinsche and Rylan Anderson; defencemen Treavor Gagne, Jordan Waterston, Austin Gray and James Gordon; and forwards Darren Hards, Dylan Krahn, Mitchell Truefitt, Chris Metcalfe, Gregory Williams and Mitchell Williams. All are from Prince George, which has the only minor roller hockey association in the region.
Tryouts for the Summer Games team were held in May.
"We ended up getting it down to 10 players and two goalies but we had 18 players try out," Brian Hards said. "It was a really good tryout. There was lots of competition."
The players are in the 14- and 15-year-old age group.
