BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- After high school, some hockey players go on to play at the college level. Some are cut from a different cloth and are ready for the pros right away. Other aren't. They're not doomed to fail, they're just not ready for the physicality of either option. That's where amateur-league junior hockey comes in. For players ages 15-20 so they can hone their skills and grow, both physically and mentally, for the next level. This team is for those players. Meet the Bakersfield Roughnecks. "Three years ago, they decided they wanted to start a junior team in Bakersfield," said head coach, Charlie Moxham. The Canadian has been coaching for 25 years, but this is his first junior team. "These are guys who might just be finishing high school or they might have graduated," said Moxham. "It's kind of like taking maybe a year or two gap year." Chris Gregory owns the team with his wife, Sarah. He says they decided to start the team three years ago, believing it was time to give junior hockey in Bakersfield another chance. "There was a 10 or 12 year gap where there wasn't a team here, so we thought 'hey, let's give it a go,'" said Gregory, the team owner. Julian Onaindia is a 20-year-old from Bakersfield who's been playing hockey for four years. He improved quickly and he now plays for the team. "It's awesome. Best experience of my life…honestly there's so much cool stuff that comes with it and I wouldn't give it up for anything, you know," said Onaindia. It's not just locals on the team, however. The Roughnecks recruit from all over. Los Angeles vegan restaurant named best in the nation by Yelp Tyler Gyori is from Alberta, Canada, and has played for teams in British Columbia and Saskatchewan before coming to Bakersfield. He says he has a harder time finding hockey gear here. "At the sports stores, I go to find a hockey stick... and I have to drive to L.A." said Gyori. "It's kind of weird, because in my small towns there's stores everywhere." Junior hockey has three tiers, with tier one being the highest level of play. The Roughnecks are tier three. This means they have to pay tuition to play, and many players from out of town live with so-called "billet families." Christopher Larochelle is one of these players hailing from Quebec, and lives with Gregory. "So we've got four guys in the house, and it's pretty fun. It's like if I had many brothers," said Larochelle. For Larochelle and others on the team, playing for the Roughnecks is a special experience. "Guys on our team are all good guys, everyone buys into our system. It seems like we have a good team to go far this year," said Gyori. Gregory feels like having this team is like making his own family even bigger. "We just love it, it's like having 25 kids of our own on the team. We have a 25-man roster so it's almost like having an extension of our family," said Gregory. If you want to see the Roughnecks in action, they'll be playing against rival Fresno tonight at Valley Children's Ice Center at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be bought at the door or online.