And the pressure builds

It’s great to be recognized nationally.

News last week that the Truro Bearcats were ranked 4th in the CJHL was well received by the Bearcat organization.

It was a tribute to the players for their effort and commitment to play the way expected of them.

There were challenges in the three games played to date, but the team persevered and found the way to win each. It looks good on them.

Such a recognition has many consequences. Right now, there’s a target on the Bearcats’s backs.

Eleven fellow members of the MHL have their sights set on the Bearcats going forward. Expecting the opposition’s best effort is nothing new to Bearcat teams over the years. This group will get used to it.

History shows the Bearcats are the only team in the MHL to win four league titles since the turn of the century.

They have never missed the playoffs since returning to the MHL in 1997, and they have never had a season with a record under the .500 mark.

They’ve done things right, and others recognize that.

So, too, are the two New Brunswick teams the Bearcats were to face last week – the Edmundston Blizzard and Grand Falls Rapid.

In November 2016, the Dieppe Commandos announced the franchise would relocate in Edmundston for the start of the 2017-2018 season.

In their first season, the Blizzard was first overall in the MHL, then went on to win the league Championship and represent the MHL in the Fred Page Cup.

Late in the 2018 season, the Woodstock Slammers announced the franchise would relocate to Grand Falls. The Rapids did not have the immediate success of the Blizzard, but they did as promised – to keep competitive hockey in the area and be a rival for Edmundston.

The Bearcats have a busy schedule with one game scheduled at the RECC for Wednesday against Amherst and on Friday (Oct. 22) against the Fredericton Red Wings. Both games get underway at 7 p.m.

Saturday the Bearcats travel to Summerside to meet the Capitals.

Bring it on.