Despite Finish, Lawal Happy With USA Juniors Run

[Shaka 228]

Despite Finish, Lawal Happy With USA Juniors Run

 

The tale of the Season 72 USA Juniors team was always going to be written on the basis of results. After a disappointing finish in S71, USA Hockey turned to outsider Shaka Lawal to turn around the fortunes of the countries Junior national team. It was a strange decision, often questioned by pundits around the hockey community, but one met with intrigue and excitement within the inner circles of USA Hockey. On Friday, after what would otherwise be described as a thoroughly disappointing loss to Team Europe to end their S72 campaign, for better or for worse, Team USA had it's story.

 

For Lawal, that story is still being written.

 

"It wasn't the way we envisioned it would go," Lawal said, after the team's 6-2 loss in the Gold Medal Game. "You don't want to lose the final game and you don't want to lose it that way, but I'm so proud of these guys." Despite the disappointing ending, USA finished the tournament 6-0-2, it's 21 points the third most points of any WJC team in Tournament history. It's only regulation loss was that final game.

 

"We came into this season with very little fan fare. Nobody predicted us to do very well. A rag tag team led by a rag tag coach and GM, but I think we proved to the world that Team USA has a very promising future. Those kids, they're talented as hell. I wish we could have brought the Gold home for them. I know how important it was for them, but I have a feeling they'll all have the opportunity to do it again," Lawal insinuates of a team well positioned to make a run on Team USA over the next decade.

 

"For me," Lawal ponders a potential jump to the VHLM and eventual VHL. "We'll have to see what's next. I'd like to think we put a quality performance out there. We'll just have to wait and see."