Stacy Cruz
Staff Writer
The Los Angeles Junior Kings 18 AAA team, including Costa juniors Ryan Ng and Austin Bowkus, participated in the qualifying state games for state championships at the Rinks-Lakewood Ice in Lakewood, California.
The Jr. Kings 18 AAA team plays in the Tier I Elite Hockey League, which is the Nation’s premier amateur hockey league. The Tier I state games began Friday, Feb. 6 with the Jr. King’s 18 AAA team’s first game against the California Titans, the 18 AAA team of another elite Tier I program.
“The games were extremely fast-paced and hard hitting,” Ng said. “I enjoy playing in playoff hockey because the tempo is always high and the competition is always good.”
The 18 AAA team was defeated in their first game 4 to 2 against the California Titans. The following day, the team played in their first elimination game and beat the Anaheim Ducks 4 to 2. Their second elimination game ended with a close defeat, a loss of 2 to 1, against the Ontario Avalanche.
“We came into the games thinking that it wouldn’t be tough, so we underperformed and that’s why we lost,” Ng said. “When it came down to the elimination game, we fought hard and eventually came out on top.”
The Jr. Kings went into the tournament as the number 1 seed. According to Ng, their underperformance in their first game was what lead to their loss. Their second game of the weekend was an elimination game, and the Jr. Kings fought for a win. In their second elimination game, the calls and bounces weren’t in the team’s favor and they were defeated.
“I’m proud of how we came together as a team for the elimination games and fought hard all the way to the end,” Ng said. “Although we didn’t get the result we wanted, it was a great experience.”
To prepare for the state games, the Jr. Kings practiced twice a week for two hours, with an addition of an hour workout before each practice. Sometimes weekend practices would be added to the schedule.
“Along with practice, our coaches had us do video review which helps us learn the game better and prepares us for all types of different game situations, ” Ng said.
The Jr. Kings are scheduled to play in Blaine, Minnesota for the Tier 1 Elite League Playoff showcase Feb. 13-15, a separate tournament from the state games. The showcase will include some of the top Tier-1 elite teams.
“I’m pretty excited to go to Minnesota,” Ng said. “It is our last showcase of the year so these games are always extremely fast like playoff hockey.
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