DAVIDSON—The gymnasium at Davidson School has become headquarters to the under-14 boys basketball team that is bound for the Saskatchewan Summer Games.
The team will represent the Prairie Central Zone at the games, where they will compete July 29 to Aug. 2 in Meadow Lake.
The trip has ensured that some local boys and their coaches will get to extend the basketball season well into the summer.
Tryouts for the team finished April 29 at Davidson School. Ten players were selected to represent the zone. Four of the boys are from Davidson: Huck and Mark Rettger, Ben Nykiforuk and James Morrison as well as Austin Evans from Kenaston. The remaining players are from Lumsden, Osler, Humboldt, Langham and Wynyard.
Kim Rettger is head coach of the squad. Assisting him are Raiders basketball alumnae Ian Kadlec, Luke Edwards and Scott Sigfusson.
“I’m excited to have these guys help. The boys relate to them a whole lot more than they do to me,” Rettger said.
“We have some good talent,” Rettger said of the team.
He was especially excited when a Grade 8 student from Osler walked into the gym the first day of tryouts. The eighth grader stands 6’4”.
“He walked in and looked Luke Edwards right in the eye,” Rettger said with a laugh.
Better still for the Prairie Central team is the kid from Osler can play ball.
Rettger said he wound up coaching Prairie Central’s team for the Summer Games by “sheer coincidence”. He was looking to enroll his son Mark in a summer league when it was suggested to him that Mark should tryout for a team going to the Sask. Summer Games.
“I discovered they had no coach,” Rettger said, so he gave it a try.
“So far it’s been terrific. We have nice kids on the team.”
The team will practise at least once every two weeks, mainly at Davidson. Rettger said they’ll also look to practise in gyms in other communities when the Davidson gym isn’t available.
KENASTON—The Kenaston Blizzards failed to cage the Rosetown Redwings in the fifth and final game of the Sask. Valley Hockey League championships March 31.
The Blizzards travelled to Rosetown where they were beaten by their hosts 7-1.
Lyndon Leard scored the Blizzards’ only goal of the contest with Scott McQueen and Aaron Phillips earning the assists.
The Redwings controlled the offence as evidenced by the fact that Blizzards goalie Kevin Hassett faced 51 shots. On the other side of the ice, Kenaston managed 31 shots on Redwings’ netminder Jeff Harvey.
This marks the end of an exceptional season for the Blizzards, who may take some solace in winning the Senior D Provincial championship.
The Kenaston Blizzards pose for a picture with the Senior D Provincial championship banner and trophy. The Blizzards won the provincial finals in Lucky Lake on March 25. (Contributed photo)
KENASTON—Tin is the traditional 10th anniversary gift.
But it was silver the Kenaston Blizzards were hoisting on March 25 as they raised the J. W. Hamilton Trophy for winning the Senior D Provincial Championships.
The Blizzards beat Lucky Lake/Dinsmore 6-1 in the third game of the best of three series.
The win came exactly 10 years to the day since Kenaston won its first Provincial D title in 2002.
Since then the Blizzards have been to the semi finals, north finals, and other rounds of provincial playoffs, but “we were never able to do it again until now,” said coach Barry Firby.
He said this year’s team was different thanks to homegrown products Mike Prpich and Aaron Phillips who came home to play with Kenaston after playing professional hockey.
“And we added a couple imports too,” Firby said.
The Blizzards’ roster also includes players from Kenaston, Hawarden and Hanley areas as well as goalie Kevin Hassett and forward Kenton Dulle, who hail from Craik.
After beating the Kyle Elks in the semi-finals, the Blizzards met Lucky Lake/Dinsmore in the finals.
Lucky Lake/Dinsmore won the first game 6-4 in Dinsmore. On March 24, Kenaston won the second game 5-1 at home. The Blizzards travelled to Lucky Lake for the final game beating their hosts 6-1.
Between provincial playoffs and league playoffs, Blizzards have become the best show in town.
“Everybody is very excited in Kenaston. We’ve had some really good crowds watch us,” Firby said.
Kenaston was in Rosetown Saturday night for the fifth and deciding game in the Sask Valley Hockey League. The series was knotted at 2-2.
The Rosetown Redwings won the first two games in the series 9-6 and 6-3 respectively.
The Blizzards came back March 20 to defeat the Redwings 6-5 in Rosetown and then beat them in Kenaston last Tuesday, March 27, 6-3. Lyndon Leard and Alekcei McAvoy had two goals each for the Blizzards with Kenton Dulle and Aaron Phillips getting a goal apiece in the win. Rosetown outshot Kenaston 38-26 with Blizzards goalie Kevin Hassett stopping 35 shots.
Results of Saturdays league final in Rosetown were unavailable at press time.
The Kenaston Blizzards 2011-12 player roster included goalies Jon Sagen and Kevin Hassett as well as Lyndon Leard, Josh Kerpan, Nick Prpich, David McDougall, Derek Butcher, Skylar Feltis, Clint Ringdal, Ryley Lowdermilk, Scott McQueen, Tyrel Kerpan, Kenton Dulle, Garrett Soparlo, Mike Prpich, Don McAvoy, Lee Carpenter, Jesse Ouellette, Chris Prpich, Lucas Ringdal, John Ouellette, Alekcei McAvoy, Mike Hertz and Aaron Phillips.
DAVIDSON—Davidson Cyclones brought home a Senior C Provincial Championship banner after a decisive 6-2 win over the Kyle Elks in Kyle on March 25.
The Davidson Cyclones won the Senior C Provincial Championship with a 6-2 win over the Kyle Elks. They pose for a picture with the provincial championship banner and trophy. (Photo by Gord McRae)
The Cyclones “played as good as we could,” coach Jason Shaw said of his team’s effort in the second and third games of the best of three-game series.
The Cyclones, after losing Game 1 in Kyle by a score of 9-4, had to win the March 23 game at home. They did, winning 4-3 to force the third and final game in Kyle.
Friday, March 23 in Davidson
Kyle’s Justin Williams opened scoring in the first period until Davidson’s Derek Allan tied the score at one. In the second period Danny Williams regained the lead for the Elks until Josh Sim scored to tie it 2-2. Brett Siroski put Davidson ahead 3-2 after a scramble in front. The Cyclones’ penalty kill surpassed expectations as Chase Schafer scored a short-handed goal for the 4-2 lead.
In the third period Danny Williams scored on a breakaway to put the Elks within one. Davidson managed to hang on for the 4-3 win and to force Game 3 in Kyle.
The Cyclones hit the road for the Sunday night final.
According to commentary by “feedmill” on the website Long Lake Hockey League Talk, “I think Kyle thought they would wrap it up easily on home ice, and that cost them as the Cyclones knew that anything less than a solid effort on the road would not cut it.”
About six minutes into the first period, Kyle’s Tom Williams scored for the 1-0 lead. It was short lived. A minute later Davidson’s Chris Babiy, while on the powerplay, scored to tie the score. Zach Sim scored to put Davidson up 2-1 to end the first period.
In the second, after back and forth action, Steve DaSilva scored midway through the period to make it 3-1 for the Cyclones. Then, Colton Allan scored and DaSilva banged in his second of the night to end the period 5-1 for Davidson.
In the third, Derek Allan scored to stretch the lead to 2-1. With about four minutes remaining, Kyle managed to sneak one past Cyclones’ netminder Mark Zoerb, but that was all.
Davidson won 6-2.
This is the Cyclones third straight provincial title.
The 2011-12 Senior C banner will join two Senior D banners won by the Cyclones in 2011 and 2010 as well as a Senior C banner the Cyclones won in 1989.
Cyclones are Long Lake Hockey Champs
The Cyclones, last Tuesday, won the Long Lake Hockey League final with a 2-1 win over the Drake Canucks.
In the first period, Davidson’s Carter Smith scored the first goal of the game. It would be the only goal until the third period when the Cyclones, who were down two men, received a much-needed cushion courtesy of Josh Sim. The score was 2-0 for Davidson. Then late in the third, Drake finally found the net to make it a one-goal game. With seconds remaining, Drake scored to tie the game, or so they thought. The goal was disallowed because it was batted into the net by a player’s hand.
The Cyclones won 2-1 to win giving them a 3-1 lead in the series and the league championship.
The Cyclones’ season may be finished, but some of the team’s players are still playing hockey.
Steve DaSilva, Derek Allan and Josh and Zach Sim will be lending their talents to the Lloydminster Border Kings who are hosting the Allan Cup. The six-team, round robin tournament for the National Senior Hockey Championship runs from April 16 to 21.
A fifth member of the Cyclones, Carter Smith, may also be playing for the Cup. Smith plays with the Rosetown Redwings, who are in the midst of Provincial A finals against Balgonie. If Rosetown wins, then Smith may have a chance to play against his Cyclones’ teammates.
The Cyclones will play the Kyle Elks for the Senior Provincial ‘C’ Championship.
The first game of the best-of-three series is this Friday in Davidson.
Davidson won the north final March 10, beating the Delisle Bruins 7-4, winning two games in the best-of-three series.
Delisle opened the game with a quick goal 22 seconds into the first period, but the lead was short lived when 11 seconds later, Davidson’s Brett Siroski, from Chase Schafer, tied the score. The Bruins responded with another goal before Derek Allan, from Carter Smith, tied the score to end the period 2-2.
Delisle was first to the scoreboard in the second period to regain the lead. The Cyclones’ powerplay leapt into action with Josh Sim, from Zach Sim and Steve DaSilva, scoring to tie the score 3-3. Davidson’s Jason Schneider scored while on the powerplay, with help from Colton Allan and David Holinaty to give the Cyclones their first lead of the game. With less than two minutes remaining in the period Josh Sim, from Smith, added some insurance to end the period 5-3 for the Cyclones.
Once again, the Bruins beat the Cyclones to the scoreboard, scoring their fourth goal of the game well into the third period. Davidson countered with two goals in the final minutes. The first was by Smith, from DaSilva and Josh Sim. With 16 seconds remaining, Josh Sim scored his third and the Cyclone’s final goal of the game with help from Derek Allan for the 7-3 win.
