After an exciting first few months of Central Interior Hockey League action, the Williams Lake Stampeders are taking a break until the new year.
The team's next games will be at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex on Saturday, Jan. 4 and Sunday, Jan. 5 when they play against the Smithers Steelheads.
Head coach Derrick Walters said they had hoped to have a Stamps versus alumni game at some point, but due to ice time availability and the alumni having trouble putting a team together that will not be happening.
As for the season so far, it's has had its ups and downs, he said.
"Everybody is coming together as a team again after last year and the highs and lows of that season, especially the low at the end. It takes a bit to get everybody back into the groove of things, showing up and working hard every game."
Brendan Pigeon, Caleb Boyle and Dawson Foerster have putting up some career numbers and doing a lot of scoring, Walters said.
"It's been good to see."
On the weekend of Dec. 6 and 7 the team travelled with a shorter lineup to play the Kitimat Ice Demons, winning 8-4 and the Hazelton Wolverines, winning 7-4.
"They were good games," Walters said. "It was a total effort, we never squandered any leads or anything like that and played from buzzer to buzzer so that was nice to see. We were playing against two solid teams on their home ice."
Playing the home games the first weekend of January will be a good test to keep that winning streak going, he added, noting they won their last four games.
Numbers of fans in the stands for home games have been lower than previous years and Walters is hoping that will change in the new year.
"It has been a little bit of hit losing some of our fans, but I know with all the gaps in between home games it's definitely hard for people to kind of get a feel for what kind of team we have," he said.
Moving forward into the new year they will have a lot more games all in a row with no breaks in between and Walters said he thinks they will be able to get the crowd going again and go back to game attendance numbers they had last year.
He's looking forward to seeing the seats filled and having a loud arena again, he said.
Two new players have joined the team.
Austin Kuhn, who works for BC Wildfire Service in Alexis Creek, played during the last three on-the-road games.
"He's put up four goals so definitely a good addition for our team."
Kyler Wilkinson, a former player, has returned and played one game so far.
"It's been a few years since he's played and it's good to have him back playing defence as well."
Walters said the team continues to build and grow and hopes to come through on a good note for the home stretch.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge and I'm sure the team is as well."
