Last Tuesday night, Lumby Minor Hockey Association hosted the Okanagan-North Super League Championship game, where Lumby’s U15 Team Quibell secured a well-earned spot. However, their journey to the finals had a few bumps along the way.
The season began with a small roster and no goalie. The team hoped to find a permanent goaltender, but after a few games, it became clear that wasn’t going to happen. Thankfully, Coach Mike refused to be deterred. He worked closely with Lumby’s registrar to secure emergency goalies and submit the necessary paperwork for each game throughout the season. While the extra paperwork was unexpected, the silver lining was the opportunity for players to build new relationships with the many goalies who stepped up to help.
With the goalie situation “figured out,” the team felt ready for the season—until their first major player injury, followed shortly by a second during their home tournament. Fortunately, the support of a few APs (Haiden, Steven, Anthony) kept the roster steady, allowing them to gain valuable experience and confidence in fast-paced games.
If you ask the players how they made it to this championship game, they’ll all say the same thing: Coach Mike. He saw the potential in each of them and pushed them to see it too, inspiring them to work harder and improve. Their dedication, combined with strong team-building skills, led to an undefeated season, the Regular Season Championship banner and a spot in the final Championship game for the league playoffs.
By the time the final Playoff Championship game against Salmon Arm arrived, all the players had recovered and were ready to play. In recognition of the APs who helped the team get to this point, they were invited to be part of this incredible moment. The team worked together and emerged victorious, bringing home the Okanagan-North Super League Playoff Championship banner. The win secured their spot in the OMAHA U15 Recreation District Championships, where they will face off against the top teams in the region.
