Sports
Richmond Sockeyes’ coach Steve Robinson is encouraged by his team’s more-complete play of late.
Photo by Chung Chow
Sockeyes hit stride after flurry of deals
Expectations can be a difficult burden. Just
ask Richmond Sockeyes rookie head coach Steve Robinson.
Armed with an impressive minor hockey résumé
and inheriting a talent-ladean roster expected to challenge for Pacific Junior
Hockey League supremacy this season, Robinson too was optimistic.
But instead of a predictably fast start, the
Sockeyes stumbled out of the starting blocks.
However, their three-win, four-loss September
wasn’t as concerning as their inconsistent play.
On Oct. 2, general manager Richard Petrowsky
made the first of a flurry of transactions to try and help resolve the dilemma.
And since Oct. 14, the Sockeyes are 3-and-1,
but more importantly for Robinson, the players appear to be more comfortable in
their respective roles.
“It’s important to play the game loosely and
have fun,” Robinson says. “You have to be relaxed to put your best foot
forward. But that doesn’t mean care-free or careless.“
At the end of the day, Robinson says he knows
mistakes will be made. The trick is not to try to over-compensate for it by
making an additional error.
Many habits, of course, are formed in
practice. And Robinson sees great progress being made when it comes to
successfully converting these lessons into game situations.
Coming off a three-game-in-four-night stretch
last week, the Sockeyes enter their home game this Thursday (7 p.m. Oct. 26
versus Langley Trappers) clearly on the uptick. They won two of three games and
sit third in the Tom Shaw Conference with an 8-5-0-1 record.
Both wins came against the Grandview
Steelers, 3-2 at home last Thursday and 2-1 at Grandview on Sunday. The
results, with minor hockey affiliate Hardarshan Hoonjan in goal, show the
Sockeyes are capable of winning the low-scoring games typically consistent with
playoff hockey.
But in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Pilots
Friday in Abbotsford, the Sockeyes also showed they can also still match any
team offensively if need be.
Captain Tyler Andrews, 20, who was the league’s
top scorer until last week, when he was surpassed by Abbotsford’s Baylee
Wright, epitomizes what Robinson wants the Sockeyes to be.
He had two assists in the first victory over
Grandview last week, and added a single helper while earning third-star honours
for his overall play in the return engagement Sunday.
“He works and goes to school, but when you
see him at the rink he is completely focused in,” Robinson says of Andrews, who
has 29 points in 13 games.
“And he never takes a practice off. He works
harder than anybody else.”
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