Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Apr 14/04) - Team Nunavut came within an overtime marker of making the championship game of the 2004 Atlantic-Northern Junior 'C' Championship in Fredericton, NB, in only its second appearance at the event.

The team lost a heartbreaking 3-2 semi-final to Nova Scotia after finishing the round robin with a 1-3 record.

Nova Scotia dropped the championship game 6-2 to the host Fredericton squad.

Team Nunavut's first-ever victory at the tourney was a 7-3 thumping of Prince Edward Island.

Head coach Donald Clark said the team played better as the tournament progressed.

He said every team was stronger this year than in the 2003 tournament.

"Our players really competed well and we were in just about every game," said Clark.

"Even the game we lost 6-3 to Fredericton, we fought back from being down 3-0 to close within a goal going into the third period.

"The game we lost 7-4 to Nova Scotia was tied at 4 going into the third, so we had our chances."

Clark said special teams were the difference in the tournament.

He said that's the number one area Team Nunavut has to improve upon to take the next step towards becoming champions.

"After we (Team Kivalliq) won the Challenge Cup, we picked up five players from Team Baffin and had the opportunity to practise for a day in Iqaluit.

"If I had to do it all over again, I'd spend a lot more time working with the special teams, both on the power play and the penalty kill.

"We held our own playing five on five, but we should have spent more time preparing our special teams."

Camp best format

Looking ahead to next season, Clark said he'd like to see the selection process go back to a regional selection camp format in the Kivalliq.

He said the coach of the Challenge Cup's losing team should also be added to the Team Nunavut squad.

"When you're picking up players from the other team in the Challenge Cup, adding their coach would act as a positive buffer between the other players and coaches.

"Some of the kids we picked up didn't respond to some of my instructions as well as I would have liked.

"A familiar face would help the players in exhibiting the kind of behaviour -- both on and off the ice -- you expect from them."