INUVIK - Sandra Pascal was beside herself after finding out earlier this month that her 18-year-old son had made the Junior A-division Sioux Lookout Flyers hockey team in a gruelling selection camp.

"It was just total happiness," said Sandra. "I was confident he would but I didn't want to get my hopes up too high."

After making the Ontario-based Junior A division Sioux Lookout Flyers earlier this month, Geo Pascal is hoping to help guide the squad to an overdue playoff appearance. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

As soon as he got word that he had made the final roster, Geo Pascal gave his parents the call. Although Sandra knows the sacrifices and the work her boy put into achieving his dream, including weight training twice a day, changing his diet and taking up boxing, she'd like to think she had something to do with it, too.

"He worked for his mother. I made him shovel everything. I made him carry all the heavy stuff," she said, bursting into laughter.

"As a little boy when he wanted to do something he simply did it. He wanted to do it and he made it."

Geo admitted he was nervous when he arrived at the Northern Ontario community for training camp, which started on Aug. 21 and included several junior and former triple A players. The practices were much more rigorous than anything he was used to.

Out of the seven camp scrimmages which determined who would make the squad, the stand-out defenceman compiled an impressive six assists and a few fights as well.

"I was really happy with my play so I felt pretty good about my chances. It feels good," he said.

He wasn't among the 30 players cut from the team.

Last May he was invited to the camp by Flyers' head coach and general manager Randy Lulashnyk who had watched Geo play at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Winnipeg.

Since then Geo devoted virtually every day to training.

In the squad's first game held last Saturday he was kicked out for fighting after getting fed up with the antics of a cheap shot artist. The Flyers won, equalling half their win total from the previous season, which was two.

Geo's getting plenty of ice time and will be used as a penalty kill specialist.

It's a schedule chock-full of practices and games, but he is confident the team will make the playoffs come March. He said he is pretty homesick but hopes that will go away soon.

"We'll make the playoffs for sure," he said. "I think we'll do really well this year because we have a great team."