Maroons Pushing For Playoffs

The Chatham Maroons have learned their lessons, and are hoping this playoff run will be different. With the regular season winding down, the Chatham Maroons enter the GOJHL playoffs having lost in the Western Conference finals each of the last two seasons, and with a lineup featuring ten 20-year-old players, who are approaching their last kick at a Junior B title.

“The majority of this group has been to the finals the last two years and lost, they couldn’t quite finish,” says Head Coach Tyler Roeszler of the experience his team has.

“They’ve had two great years, but I think they realize how hard it is now to finish the job, and to win a championship. There’s never a shortage of motivation when you go to the finals twice and come short. That’s been the vision all year, that’s what we’re striving for, but we’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves.”

To win this season, the Maroons will have to beat the top ranked Leamington Flyers, and contend with a Conference that has experienced much parity this season among the top four of Leamington, Chatham, Sarnia, and LaSalle.

Chatham’s overage group this season, who will all graduate from the organization following this playoff run, includes Bo Bessette, Jake Patterson, Nate Pietens, Steven Szekesy, Connor Doran, Trevor Richardson, Jared Dennis, Alex Morgan, and Brennan Feasey, not to mention the already departed Michael Verboom and John Bowen.

Although Roeszler and his roster aren’t looking too far into the future, they are focusing on each game, and the process of getting better each game, which they believe will be necessary to win the clubs first GOJHL Western Conference title since 2005-2006.

“We know the little things are going to add up for us. I think that is the goal, but we’re just focused on embracing the process of getting better each day and striving for greatness.”

The GOJHL Western Conference playoffs will begin the last week of February.