They dress in all black off the ice -- black button-down long-sleeved shirts, black ties and black slacks.  It reflects the serious approach the California Cougars Bantam A hockey team brings to the game.

But on Sunday evening -- just in case you forgot they were a bunch of 14- and 15-year-old boys -- they were throwing each other into a swimming pool on the Peninsula, celebrating their second consecutive California Amateur Hockey Association championship.

The Cougars completed another superb season that day, defeating the Yorba Linda Blackhawks 7-3 in the championship game of the Bantam A division at Logitech Ice in San Jose.  The Cougars, based at the Ice Center in San Mateo, went undefeated in the three-day tournament, outscoring their opponents in their four games 26-9.  The Cougars finished the year with a 41-2-2 record.

"We have to work hard," center Bryon Paulazzo said."  We have to give up social things just to play hockey."

Such as?

"Girls," interjected defenseman Mike McCarthy.

"Sleeping in on weekends," added left wing Andrew Gillis.

Can 14- and 15-year-old boys possibly do that?  Apparently so.  The Cougars practice more than 10 hours a week many weeks, often at the crack of dawn, and play a nine-month season.  That doesn't count the grueling off-ice conditioning program instituted by coach Mario Morrissette.

"The kids we get are very dedicated," said Morrissette, who moved to the Bay Area six years ago from his native Montreal, home of the most successful franchise in professional hockey history, the Canadiens.  "We put more time in than other programs.  The kids spend a lot of time working and sacrificing."

"Sometimes weekdays we have to practice at 5 a.m.," Gillis added.  "We play all summer long to keep in shape."

There are 18 players on the Cougars Bantam A team (Morrissette also coaches the Cougars Midget team), and Morrissette prides himself on getting them to buy into his team-first philosophy.

"They don't play individually," he said.  "They have a system.  They work hard at it."

Said goalie Matt Carruthers, "It's good defense, good offense.  Our goaltending holds the team together.  It's all passing.  We try to set each other up."

Gillis described the Cougars offense as "cycle behind the net."  That's the old Wayne Gretzky ploy -- to take the puck behind the net and try to fire it out front to a teammate.

But the Cougars aren't just a finesse team.

"We have some big players," Gillis said.  "We probably hit more than any other team."

Carruthers is a good metaphor for the players' dedication.  On April 2, in round-robin play against the Blackhawks, he started in goal in a 5-2 victory just four weeks after having his collarbone broken.

The Cougars made the state tournament thanks to a 14-0-1 record in regular-season games in their league, made up of six Northern California teams.  Second-place Santa Clara was far back with an 8-5-2 record.

The Cougars cruised through the Northern California regionals on the weekend of March 21, winning four games by a combined score of 18-5, including a 5-2 win over the Tri-Valley Blue Devils in the championship.

The state finals took the two best teams from Northern California and the two best teams from Southern California.  After beating the Blackhawks the first time, the Cougars cruised into the finals by routing the Desert Coyotes 9-1 and then defeating the Blue Devils 5-3.  Both those games took place Saturday.

The Cougars dominated the championship game.  They never trailed, getting two goals from Paulazzo and single goals from Keisuke Teeple, McCarthy, Gillis, Mauricio Schmidt and Oliver Gordon.  Nathan Pham played in goal and made 23 saves.

Gillis said Morrissette's teaching goes beyond winning.

"It's not just hockey," Gillis said.  "He teaches us lessons in life."

Such as?

"Like showing up late for work -- you'll get fired," Paulazzo said.  "If you show up late for practice, you'll get benched.  In hockey, getting fired is having to sit on the bench."

And as any 14- or 15-year-old can tell you, sitting on the bench is serious business.

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