It's certainly nice to pick up the "W" in Win - but if the W is not to be, then securing the "I" for Improvement is a more than satistfactory consolation prize.

The Sudbury U10 Storm boys did manage to register their first victory of the season at the recent Barrie Royals Winter Classic tournament - but more importantly, in the eyes of head coach Adam Lafond, were the crystal clear signs of progress.

This despite operating with 80% of their lineup as two players fell ill before the weekend event.

Facing a much taller opponent in the Vaughan Panthers, diminutive ball handlers Felix Gervais and Aiden Presello weaved in and out of traffic, navigating their ways to six points each, though the overall lack of scoring meant that the Storm would fall short in game one.

Not the case in game two as Maks Lafond and Kai Suprunov netted ten points each, helping Sudbury overcome a 15-12 half-time deficit and securing a 28-23 win over the Durham Rising Suns.

"We knew that emphasizing defence would be key for us down the stretch, shutting down DRS in the final period," noted coach Lafond.

While Ivy Blouin and Lucas Legault also chipped in offensively, this game likely turned on the defensive prowess of Tommi Bogomaz and a complete team effort on the boards, with second chance points being key.

"This was a total team effort, with players having to play five or six shifts each (of eight four minute periods), when four shifts are typically the norm," added Lafond. "The players dug deep to get the job done."

Facing the host Barrie Royals in their final encounter, the northern lads suffered a second setback despite the fact that Eyas Hussam Eddin was doing all of the little things right, effective at both ends of the court and keeping his team motivated.

Aiden Presello and Maks Lafond led the Storm point parade as the team looks forward to welcoming back both Jacob Poirier and Xavier Johnson when they next take to the court later this month.