The PCI Saints hockey team took to the ice this morning to kick off their Christmas Classic Tournament that runs this weekend at Stride Place.

In their first matchup, the Saints were battling the Jean Beliveau Barracudas. The Saints started the game a little flat and let the Barracudas net a couple goals before coming back to tie the game. After allowing Beliveau to take the lead again, PCI pulled their goalie in the final minute of play and managed to score the equalizer, sending the game into overtime. In the extra frame, Beliveau would score with under a minute left to drop the Saints 4-3.

Saints Head Coach Jo-Anne Clark-Gillespie said they just needed to come out harder in the first.

"We just had a slow start, it's tough when you're not used to playing in the morning," says Clark-Gillespie. "You're missing school and you're excited for your home tournament. We came out quite flat and let them jump on us a bit. As always, once we got our feet under us, our heads in the game and started working hard, we came back and tied it. We pulled the goalie and tied it again. It was unfortunate, we like how we came back but not how we started."

The Saints will take to the ice again at 5:45 when they take on Beaverbrae.

Clark-Gillespie says they need to work on playing the full 60 minutes in order to pick up a win.

"We've been talking since September the secret to our success in any game we've won in the league is hard work and intensity," notes Clark-Gillespie. "They're their own worst enemy sometimes when it comes to inconsistency. We had a talk and all it takes is one or two girls not going hard and it kind of festers and brings down the whole."

PCI will also take to the ice tomorrow morning for their final round robin game when they take on Dryden at 10:00 am.