Wildcats Turn Attention to 2009

After dropping both of its contests in the annual Kerwin Kitzman Blue Line Classic, head coach Chris Limback is hoping 2009 brings success. 

On Tuesday, the Wildcats dropped a 5-2 decision to Hartland putting the team's record at 0-10. "Hopefully 09 is better - 08 wasn't a great start, but the only thing we can do is keep moving on", said Limback. 

Despite moving in to a new year, the season doesn't get any easier with visits from Sault Ste. Marie and Traverse City Central on the horizon. "But now it's back to the drawing board to figure out where we are going to go, because it could get worse before it gets better", Limback said. 

Most distressing to Limback in Tuesday's loss were an inability or unwillingness to do the little things needed to compete at this level, coupled with the realization that his players gave up in the 3rd period. "We started off decent" Limback said, "but we were still hesitating to go that extra mile you need... we cold have been up by three in this one if we would have just given a little more. But we coasted into plays and it came back to bite us in the end. Hartland kept moving and as we wore down, they got better and they took it to us". 

In Monday's game against Mattawan missed assignments and a lack of extra effort caused a win to slip away. Up a goal with a little more than 4:00 to play and going on the power play, Alpena gave up a pair of shorthanded goals in a 38 second span and saw a 3-2 lead turn into a 4-3 loss. "We missed assignments and got outworked" Limback said.

Alpena returns to action on January 9 hosting Sault Ste. Marie.