Not only are its teams regulars at the Chipotle-USA Hockey National Championships, they consistently punch their tickets to the big dance on the final Monday of competition.

But this is no ordinary year. While the goal is always to make it to Nationals, Mission coaches have been more focused on the process than on the results.

“There are a lot of great hockey teams out here and everyone wants to make it as far as they can. That’s why it’s the national tournament,” said Greg Tam, head coach of the Mission’s Youth Tier I 14 & Under team. 

“Our expectation can’t be just success based on if we win our last game or not. The expectation that we had early in the year was to be here and now everything beyond this is a bonus. We only hope that they take advantage of the opportunity that they created.”

The Mission took their first step in that process but fighting off a stiff challenge from a talented Minuteman Flames team in the tournament opener. Charles Arend (a goal and three assists) and Kamil Bednarik (two goals) did the heavy offensive lifting, but it was Frank DeRosa’s goal late in the third period that snapped a 3-3 tie and ultimately put the final pin in the Flames’ comeback hopes.

“That was a good hockey team,” Tam said. “At this time of the year anything can happen. I think the biggest thing right now is we’re in the same boat as everyone else. Things have been a little complicated this year with COVID, things have been a little off out of the norm.”

And when things deviate from the norm, it’s best to stick with what got them here.

“The biggest message we try to tell our kids is just keep it simple early. If you do that things will eventually work out for the best,” Tam said. “Good teams are always going to find a way back. And in those games, it’s just about playing a complete game and trust in what we put in place.”

Drew Carr staked the Flames to the early lead as he corralled a bouncing puck at center ice, slipped past a Mission defender and tucked a backhander over the blocker of goalie Nicholas Kempf.

The Mission roared back on a short-handed goal from Joseph DeRosa and a Bednarik tally with 21 seconds left in the period.

Bednarik’s second of the game padded the lead to 3-1 in the second before the Flames caught fire in the third with a pair of goals 43 seconds apart from Cameron Cooke and Carr before DeRosa’s heroics and Arend’s empty-net goal put an end to the rally.

Like all the teams that made the trek to The Lone Star State, it’s the final leg in a journey none of them will ever forget. Where some teams may have seen missed opportunities that come with a loss of competition, the Mission prefer to focus on what was gained through the experience.

“It can be frustrating when things aren’t normal and expectations are altered,” Tam said. “There’s a lot that goes into it, but at the end of the day the process stays the same. It’s about developing the kids. 

“Our club really stressed the importance of taking advantage of the extra practice times that we had this year. I think the kids benefited from it.”

As the old saying goes, focus on the process and the results will follow.