Training camp comes to a close with a valuable test in Indiana

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings Junior Hockey are continuing to build toward the start of their first NCDC season, and the final days of training camp provided the team with an opportunity to take everything they had been working on and put it to the test.
After two weeks of hard work, practices and building chemistry as a group, the Riverkings finished training camp strong in the second week of September with a trip to Indiana for a unique experience that combined education, hockey and a valuable challenge on the ice.
As part of the trip, the team visited Purdue University Northwest, where the players had the opportunity to tour the campus and see several of its facilities. The group explored a number of science and academic buildings before making their way to the university’s ice rink.
The trip offered the players a chance to see another college environment and learn more about the opportunities that can exist beyond junior hockey. But the biggest test of the trip was waiting for them on the ice.
The Riverkings went head-to-head with Purdue’s ACHA Division I men’s hockey team, giving the team an opportunity to compete against an experienced college-level opponent.

For the Riverkings, the game was about much more than the final score. It was a chance to see where their game currently stands after training camp and to test the skills, pace and systems they had been working on against a different level of competition.
The game provided plenty of valuable lessons.
Playing against Purdue exposed areas where the Riverkings can continue to improve, while also showing the players what they are capable of when they compete together. The experience gave the coaching staff and players a clearer understanding of what needs to be sharpened as they move forward.
Every challenge provides an opportunity to learn, and this one was no different.
With training camp now behind them, the focus shifts toward the regular season. The team knows there is still work to be done, and the experience in Indiana gave the Riverkings a clear list of things to focus on during the upcoming week.
The first regular-season game is getting closer, and the lessons from training camp — including the test against Purdue — will help shape the team’s preparation moving forward.
The work continues. And the Riverkings are getting closer to being ready for opening night.