The 2018 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships are over and done with and there was no difference between the boys and girls squads at this year's tournament.

Both teams finished in eighth place in each of their divisions; the boys lost to Team Atlantic in their seventh-place game, 8-3, while the girls were beaten by Alberta, 9-2.

Neco Towtongie was back behind the bench as an assistant coach with the boys team this year and said one of the big reasons behind the boys not being as strong as they could have been was the lack of game play.

SA国际影视传媒淲e usually have an exhibition game before the tournament begins but we didn't have that this year,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭hat game helps create chemistry among the boys and that made it tough.SA国际影视传媒�

The boys opened with a 6-2 loss to Ontario North but bounced back with a 6-4 win over Eastern Door and North, although they did have a 4-0 lead at one point.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think the boys got a bit too comfortable,SA国际影视传媒� said Towtongie. SA国际影视传媒淓astern Door and North put us on our heels but we came back and once we got the lead back, our confidence came back.SA国际影视传媒�
Next up was Ontario South and it was a case of not being able to pull the trigger on the power play, said Towtongie, as they dropped a 3-2 decision.

SA国际影视传媒淥ntario took a lot of penalties in that game and we just couldn't capitalize,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e just couldn't get our power play going at all.SA国际影视传媒�

Their final round-robin game was a 6-3 loss to Manitoba but Towtongi said it was a closer game than the final score showed.

SA国际影视传媒淲e could have beat them,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e had lots of good chances but we couldn't score the goals. We were right there but we had no luck in that game.SA国际影视传媒�
Only the top two teams in each division made the playoffs and because the boys finished fourth, the best they could do was seventh but Team Atlantic had different ideas as they jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first period in that game.

SA国际影视传媒淭he boys probably didn't have their heads in the game,SA国际影视传媒� said Towtongie. SA国际影视传媒淭eam Atlantic just came out the better team and emotionally, we just weren't there.SA国际影视传媒�

The girls started their round-robin against Eastern Door and North and fought back well to earn a 5-5 tie although assistant coach Kaylee Grant said it could have been a win.

SA国际影视传媒淲e didn't have our exhibition game like the boys,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭hat helps get the jitters out of the way and at a national tournament like this, getting the jitters out early is huge but the girls came back well and we got a point.SA国际影视传媒�

Next up was Saskatchewan and it was always going to be tough going against them but the result was rather lopsided SA国际影视传媒� 11-1.

SA国际影视传媒淲e felt we could be competitive with them,SA国际影视传媒� said Grant. SA国际影视传媒淭hey played New Brunswick in their first game and only beat them, 5-0.SA国际影视传媒�
The girls were only down 2-1 after the first period but Saskatchewan turned the crank in the second and third periods to run away with it.

Game three was against B.C. and just like the boys against Ontario South, it was a game Grant felt could have been theirs had the bounces gone their way but B.C. ended up 5-3 winners.

SA国际影视传媒淏.C. is a strong team and we really competed well against them,SA国际影视传媒� said Grant.

Their final round-robin contest came against New Brunswick and the girls managed to find the win column, 4-3, overcoming a 3-2 deficit in the third period.

SA国际影视传媒淲e really pushed through in that last game,SA国际影视传媒� said Grant. SA国际影视传媒淲e were down in our last game and hadn't had much success to that point and winning it was a big deal.SA国际影视传媒�
In the seventh-place game against Alberta, the girls were tied 1-1 after the first period and were still in with a chance in the third period down just 3-2 but Alberta opened the floodgates, scoring six unanswered goals down the stretch.

Even in defeat, Grant said this year's tournament is something to build on for the girls.

SA国际影视传媒淲e had a really young team and I hope a lot of them come back to play,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e had a lot of girls who couldn't attend because it's a two-week commitment but I hope we get some more girls because there's great talent out there.SA国际影视传媒�