Manitoulin Minor hockey spotlight
In the Spotlight this week is the Mindemoya Thunder Atom squad. The team has been as high as third position in the MMHA standings and is looking to finish their season strong and position themselves for a great playoff run. A couple of examples why the team is improving can be seen in two players who are new to the game and his position. Jude Debassige is with the team for his first year of hockey and his skating has made huge improvements. Jude has a good shot that coaches are working on getting him to utilize. Alex Hore is learning the goaltender position for the first time this year and learning how to shut down opposition shooters.
They are 11 players strong this year and features: #21 Alex Hore, #4 Sage VanDeyl, #7 Carter Moggy, #8 Garrett Sheppard, #10 Jacob Wilson, #12 Zoe Redmond, #16 Lindsay Sheppard, #20 Zachary Gibbons, #23 Jaemie Moor, #25 Jude Debassige and #35 Ben Dewar. Staffing the Atoms are coaches Paul Sheppard and Steve Redmond, trainer Darren Dewar and their manager is Kim Moor.
This week is busy for the team. They play at home vs. Manitowaning Tuesday evening at 6:30, then another home game vs. Wikwemikong on Thursday. The following morning the Thunder atoms all head over very early to compete in their first game at 9 in the Walden Friendship Tournament for Thunder, Atom, PeeWee, and Bantam teams. Good luck atoms!
Coaches and managers looking to get their team into the Spotlight are asked to please send similar information to chipstoquips@gmail.com
Resolution Run
Congratulations to Manitowaning’s Paula Fields who appears to be the sole local runner in the annual Resolution Run where fitness resolutions can be put to the test on day 1 when rubber meets the road. The January 1st race attracted nearly 100 hearty runners for a snowy and chilly 5k race. Next in the Running Room Series includes February’s Hypothermic Half. Check out Sudburyrocks.com for more information.
Mustangs need noise Friday!
The Manitoulin Secondary boys’ hockey team is playing at home this Friday night against the SDSSA’s leading squad, Notre Dame. As of Monday morning all teams in the league had played 10 games. The Mustangs were listed in fifth place with the exact record as 4th place St. Charles: 6-4-0 while Notre Dame is an unbeaten 9-0-1. The ‘Stangs always get up for these important games with some extra positive energy in the stands so try to get out to the game if you can. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:30, Friday the 9th at the NEMI Recreation Centre.
The Mustang girls need the same support next Thursday when the Lo-Ellen skates into the M’Chigeeng arena for a 5 pm tilt with the very young Mustang side. The Thursday game will be preceded by three games on the road starting today, tomorrow and next Tuesday all over in Sudbury so they could use some extra energy.
The team’s roster features a majority of Grade 9 and 10 players and have been showing flashes of great things to come. The team sits in 5th place in the 8-team, B-Division with a 2 and 4 record and not far from the visiting LoEllen squad.
Active adults…play Pickleball!
The year-end newsletter of Pickleball Canada has a long feature on Little Current couple, Bud and Pierrette Hebner. The couple discuss how they just recently were introduced the game a couple of years ago at the NEMI Curling arena. Although the sport is easy to pick-up there is always room to grow and challenge yourself as the Hebners attest. Despite just over a year in the sport the pair were able capture gold at the Ontario Provincial Championships in 2013 in the under 60 division and silver this past year in the 60 – 65 class. In 2012 however they didn’t win a single game at the Provincials!
They extoll the virtues of the sport they play from spring through fall before the curling sheets are put in. They have a unique set-up at the local rink where they don’t have to compete as most clubs do with tennis players on converted outdoor courts but get lots of room in climate controlled comfort. The article also describes the amazing physical and social benefits that the game affords. Although the season won’t start until curling stops, try to stay active through the winter so you are ready for this growing sport. Watch this spring for new Pickleball announcements.
A good sport is good for sports.
705-377-6018 – chipstoquips@gmail.com
