NAHA Tournament 2009

And so it begins, another Labor Day Weekend, and another NAHA Labor Day Tournament.

This is the sixth year that the Steelers have brought a team to NAHA tournament. The NAHA tournament remains the staple tournament to attend for players wishing exposure to NCAA coaches, with representation from every NCAA Division 1 program, and majority of Division 3 programs.

This year, NAHA has pared the tournament field down to 16 teams in the U-19 division, and the Steelers, as the only British Columbia based team invited to this event, have put together one all-star team comprised of players from the Steelers 2009-2010 club team, and players from Alberta, BC and Ontario, and will be competing against the top teams in North America.

Over the last two weeks, the Pacific Steelers were on the ice eight times to prepare for this tournament. Its last practice will be today in Burlington, Vermont, where the team will skate at Cairns arena for one hour today. The team will then head down to Ivy League College - Dartmouth College for a tour.

Tournament play starts in earnest on Friday with a morning game against the Kitchener-Waterloo Rangers, and evening game against the Massachusetts Spitfires.

Expectations for this team are high with 13 of the 17 players on the roster having played at the NAHA tournament last year, and the Steelers bringing a more veteran squad this year with only two players in their sophomore years in high school, with the remainder Juniors or older. A balanced three lines of forwards, with a great defence core,and excellent goaltending characterizes this year’s team.

Behind the bench, will be Colleen Thomson. This will be Colleen's fourth time head coaching a team at the NAHA tournament. Assisting Colleen will be Bob Atchison, the Pacific Steelers club team head coach, and Alan Chim, President and General Manager of the Steelers, who has attended all six NAHA tournaments with the Steelers.