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This article was published 29/03/2019 (2690 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Hard work and a versatile bench helped the Assiniboine Park Rangers’ bantam AA team clinch the city championships this year.
The Rangers won the best-of-five final series in three straight games, beating the top-seeded Twins 2-0 on March 16. Despite the team’s successful playoff run, the regular season was not without its challenges.
“I think we played two games all season out of 28 with a full roster,” team manager Crystal Anderson said. “It was definitely challenging for them at times but they worked through it and they persevered.”
Six players suffered seven different injuries this year and the Rangers were down a defenceman for the entire season. Anderson’s son Colten usually plays forward but helped fill the holes left by his injured teammates throughout the year — which meant getting used to playing both offence and defence.
“Doing that definitely showed me that I could play any position I want,” Colten said. “It was difficult at first but I’ve been playing hockey for a while so I picked it up pretty quick.”
Losing in the first round of playoffs last year provided extra motivation for the Rangers this season.
“Our coaches definitely used that as a motivator this season,” assistant captain Jesse Tyc said. “They prepared us and the pushed us through all the playoffs and we were a hardworking team and I think we were pretty disciplined and that helped us improve across the whole season.”
The team finished third in its division with a 16-11-1 record. The boys beat the Canadians in two games in the first round of playoffs and beat the Marauders in five after a challenging, back-and-forth second round series.
The final game against the Twins was scoreless until late in the third and the Rangers sealed the deal with an empty net goal in the last minute of play.
“We consistently challenged them to be their best… to work hard and to support one another,” coach George Seidel told The Metro via email. “They accepted the challenge, never being given permission to give up and with that, reaped the reward of a AA hockey city championship.”
Many of the players on the Rangers have been playing hockey together since they were in Timbits, which made the championship win extra special.
“It’s definitely crazy because just three years ago some of these guys were my teammates and some of these guys were my opponents and now we’re together on the same team winning the city championships,” Colten said.
For Tyc, the win was bittersweet because many of the Rangers will be going separate ways next year.
“This was my second year playing with a lot of these guys and it was also kind of a sad game because this will be the last time I’ll be playing with a lot of them, so it was even more incredible when we got the win,” he said.
Colton and Jesse are both in Grade 9 at Oak Park and hope to make the school’s hockey team in the fall.
Hard work and a versatile bench helped the Assiniboine Park Rangers’ bantam AA team clinch the city championships this year.
The Rangers won the best-of-five final series in three straight games, beating the top-seeded Twins 2-0 on March 16. Despite the team’s successful playoff run, the regular season was not without its challenges.
Supplied photo
The bantam AA Rangers team pictured in no particular order are coaches Brian Smith and George Seidel and goalies Max Olson and Eli Koltek; defenders Andrew Caron, Jack Carswell, Keenan Courchaine, Evan Guercio and Tommy Stefanson; forwards Kai Williamson, Maclean Fish, Tyson Penner, Riley Dudych, Colten Anderson, Raf Padua, Ben Milne, Jesse Tyc, David Balshaw and Zev Stern.
“I think we played two games all season out of 28 with a full roster,” team manager Crystal Anderson said. “It was definitely challenging for them at times but they worked through it and they persevered.”
Six players suffered seven different injuries this year and the Rangers were down a defenceman for the entire season. Anderson’s son Colten usually plays forward but helped fill the holes left by his injured teammates throughout the year — which meant getting used to playing both offence and defence.
“Doing that definitely showed me that I could play any position I want,” Colten said. “It was difficult at first but I’ve been playing hockey for a while so I picked it up pretty quick.”
Losing in the first round of playoffs last year provided extra motivation for the Rangers this season.
“Our coaches definitely used that as a motivator this season,” assistant captain Jesse Tyc said. “They prepared us and the pushed us through all the playoffs and we were a hardworking team and I think we were pretty disciplined and that helped us improve across the whole season.”
The team finished third in its division with a 16-11-1 record. The boys beat the Canadians in two games in the first round of playoffs and beat the Marauders in five after a challenging, back-and-forth second round series.
The final game against the Twins was scoreless until late in the third and the Rangers sealed the deal with an empty net goal in the last minute of play.
“We consistently challenged them to be their best… to work hard and to support one another,” coach George Seidel told The Metro via email. “They accepted the challenge, never being given permission to give up and with that, reaped the reward of a AA hockey city championship.”
Many of the players on the Rangers have been playing hockey together since they were in Timbits, which made the championship win extra special.
“It’s definitely crazy because just three years ago some of these guys were my teammates and some of these guys were my opponents and now we’re together on the same team winning the city championships,” Colten said.
For Tyc, the win was bittersweet because many of the Rangers will be going separate ways next year.
“This was my second year playing with a lot of these guys and it was also kind of a sad game because this will be the last time I’ll be playing with a lot of them, so it was even more incredible when we got the win,” he said.
Colton and Jesse are both in Grade 9 at Oak Park and hope to make the school’s hockey team in the fall.
