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WENATCHEE, Wash. - The Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy's 14U record for the 2022-23 season was right in the middle...21 wins, 21 losses, and a few ties.

It was anything but a middling season for the Wolverines, however, with this year's campaign wrapping up in San Jose, California at the USA Hockey Pacific District tournament. The travel schedule was a busy one, with visits to Chicago, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas and British Columbia on the slate in addition to the team's Pacific District trip.

"The 14U's had a really successful year, both individually and in overall team growth," said co-coach Tysen Azevedo. "Coming into the season not really sure what path we were moving down as far as competition, we were trying to play at the highest level that we possibly could. We came out early with a lot of practices, but late in the year as we wound down, we were able to step it up by finishing at the [Frosty Cup] Invitational and the regional tournament."

After battling to a 2-3 finish at the CCM Invitational tournament in Denver and a one-win finish at the CCM event in Chicago, the Wolverines rattled off an unbeaten six-week stretch, including the five-game B.C. Exposure Showcase in Wenatchee and a 5-0 finish at the Western Exposure Showcase in Phoenix. Two wins over Seattle's Northwest Stars program rounded out the slate before Christmas.

"They started out with a lot of development, and they were ready to get right into the games," said Azevedo. "We hosted the B.C. Exposure tournament and went down to Arizona preparing ourselves for the end of the season, knowing that we were going up to some of those higher Tier I tournaments, seeing some better competition later in the year. I think a lot of it came out with the boys just wanting to see some games and having some chemistry early in the year. These guys came together in the locker room, off the ice, and once they were able to get into games, it was fun to watch. It was a long season with a lot of adversity, but they kept moving forward."

While the roster may not have reflected a deep team - only 16 skaters and two goaltenders suited up for Wenatchee at any point during the season - it was a group full of players ready to step up and make contributions. Caden Stoltz closed out the year with a team-best 34 points, with eight players finishing at 20 points or more on the year. Liam Rogers shouldered the load in net at the Pacific District tournament, playing in all three games, but Jackson Wagner closed out the year with eight wins of his own.

The Wolverines' competition in San Jose was impressive, to say the least - all three teams on their round-robin schedule moved into semifinal play at 3-0, with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings eventually walking away with the district title. Only a two-goal third period sent Team Alaska past Wenatchee on the tournament's second day, and Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association state champion Sno-King held off the 14U group in the round-robin finale in a rematch of the Washington state title game from the month before.

"Everyone had to contribute this year," said co-coach Aaron Azevedo. "It was something that, as coaches, we couldn't be more proud of - after games, we'd see the other coaches, and they'd always comment and allude to how hard our team competed, how much pressure we put on their team, how worn down they were. It didn't matter how short a bench we had, whether it be injuries or whatever, they consistently put in an effort that coaches can be proud of. They brought everything they could, every game, and that's something pretty special."

The next step for many of the players on this year's team will be a big one, with only four players set to return to 14U competition next year. The Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy's 16-and-under division will join the Canadian Sport School Hockey League for the 2022-23 campaign, and 16U players will billet in the Wenatchee Valley with local families during the season, many of them living away from home for the very first time. 2023-24 tryouts are scheduled for April 15 to 16, at Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee.