Hosting nationals has proven not to be a distraction, as the U15 AAA Central Energy won both their games on Wednesday, a resounding 12-0 victory over BC3, and a hard, tough battle against a scrappy PEI team, claiming the win 2-1. "The day was really, really great for our team, and our organization," coach Kevin Convery says with a smile. "The kids did well in both games, getting two victories, including that tight win over a solid PEI team, under the lights and in front of a lot of local fans." Getting these two wins are huge, and Convery loves where the mindset of the group is at. "It's nice for the girls to get the two wins, proving they can compete with the best teams in the country. It's huge for the girls, and it also puts the team in a great position to get in to the A-side playoffs. It's a big confidence boost heading into the rest of the tournament." To have the community support was also a big deal and it was a big boost, according to Convery. "It was special for the girls to play under the lights in Winkler. It was amazing to see them interacting with the cheering crowd, some of the parents got big head cutouts, and were waving them around, and the kids got a kick out of it. The whole atmosphere was really positive, and the girls fed off that, and it led to wins." Heading into Thursday, there's more work to do, says Convery. "We face two teams that are undefeated, and they've won by large margins. BC2 and Alberta 1, they are two of the stronger teams in our pool, so things don't get easier heading into day 2." First game is at 1:00 p.m. and the second is at 5:00 p.m. both at diamond 2, in Winkler.