PORT AUX BASQUES — The Central Cataracts lead the junior hockey circuit with a perfect 10-0 record, but the Port aux Basques Junior Mariners want to change the landscape by being the 2010-2011 champions.
The Junior Mariners hope to keep pace with the defending champions when they tangle with the cellar-dwelling Stephenville Junior Jets in a Home Hardware Central-West Junior Hockey League two-game set this weekend at the Stephenville Dome.
Mariners coach Bruce Billard said his players will be focused on a sweep of the Jets to stay within striking distance of the Cataracts. The second-place Mariners (7-3) have to play the Cats three more times before the playoffs begin — two of those games will be played in front of the hometown fans at the Bruce 11 Sports Centre.
“You want to at least keep pace with the Cataracts,” Billard said Tuesday. “I think the three remaining games between us and them are going to be really deciding factors on the league standings going into the playoffs. I mean, obviously, when you’re going into Stephenville you have to pick up two wins to keep pace with central.”
The Cats have been a dominant force in the league for years so Billard’s boys is using that as motivation to upset the favourites.
“The boys are really gunning for first place,” Billard said. “Grand Falls has been at the top of the league for pretty much since the league has been in existence so the boys are really interested in trying to do well in the playoffs. It’s more of a mental motivation if they can knock of the Cats and take first place.”
Against the Jets, Billard knows his players will have to show up with a strong work ethic and play the game hard in both ends of the rink.
“You can’t be too wrapped up in the points portion of it,” he said. “We really got to focus on, and we’ve done it the last few weekends, both ends of the rink. You can’t be too wrapped up in trying to go all offence against Stephenville and forget the defensive side of the game.”
The two teams clash Saturday night 8 p.m. and Sunday 1:30 p.m. at the Stephenville Dome.
The Corner Brook Junior Royals and Central Cataracts will be back in action the following weekend.
