This weekend, the Moose Jaw Canucks hosted the AA  Tier 1 Provincials, playing three games in the round-robin before losing to Weyburn in a tie-breaker. Canucks coach Curtis O`Riley said that he was impressed with the way his team had grown in mental toughness this year.

"They showed team resilience and came back from being significantly behind in a number of games and stuck to it and were able to prevail."

The quality of the pitching surprised both O`Riley and his players, with a number of them exceeding their own expectations. Several players who did not rate themselves highly as pitchers discovered that they actually displayed a depth of talent for the position. They managed to step up when the team needed it most and went on to shine throughout the season.

After this season O`Riley is planning on taking a hiatus from coaching the Canucks, saying that he wants his son--who is on the team next year--to have a chance at learning from someone new.

"We're gonna turn over the reigns to somebody else as yet to be determined and I know they`ll be eminently qualified and do great things with that team."

While O'Riley may not be throwing his hat into the ring next season, he has every confidence in who will be found to replace him.