In a disappointing end to their season, the Williams Lake Stampeders lost to the Quesnel Kangaroos in the third game of their second round of the playoffs.
The third game of the three-game series took place in Quesnel on Sunday, March 2, and the loss was a tough way to finish the closely-contested run, with the Roos winning 7-4.
Only the night before, the Stamps had lost in overtime on home ice, after having won 5-4 on Quesnel's home ice the weekend before.
"It definitely wasn't the way we wanted it to go in the end," said Derrick Walters, Stamps head coach.
Walters said the team fought hard to the very end, and he was happy with the effort he saw from his players.
"It makes you want to come back stronger next year," he said, noting he's still thinking over everything from the weekend and season and how the team can continue to aim for a championship, after coming close for two years.
He said he wants to focus on continuing to build the team's chemistry and on developing some of the players to get there.
"We're pretty close and it's always just a learning experience when you go through these losses," he said.
For his part, Walters said he hopes to return to try and make it happen once again, as the team ends their season and looks to see who wins between Terrace and Quesnel, both of which they have rivalries.
The Quesnel Kangaroos will be facing the Terrace River Kings next weekend to begin the final round of in the Central Interior Hockey League (CIHL) playoffs.
Walters said after the tough loss to the Roos on March 2, he's cheering for Terrace to take home the top spot and win the cup.
