Island Elementary, Co-ed Volleyball Champions
Congratulations to Wasse Abin Pontiac’s Deana Debassige as she not only hosted an amazing tournament for the best boys’ and girls’ team from Manitoulin, she also coached the winning squad. Losing just one of eight games all day, Pontiac’s stalwart front line were the class on day, easily eclipsing second place CMPS at five and three. Way to go: Kevin Trudeau, Kaleb Dokum, Ian Dokum, Anina Pangowish, Raven Bolton and Jasmine Manitowabi-Pangowish.
In an otherwise, very competitive B Division CMPS Coach Lisa Pennie led her team to a perfect eight and zero result to take the 2016 title. Congratulations to: Marjorie Scott, Zoe Redmond, Hunter Smith, Hailey McGillis-Prior, Tyler Leeson, Liam Bridgeman and Carter Moggy.
Panther Points!
The Manitoulin Midget Panthers eked out a 4-4 tie this past Sunday in Little Current. Playing the West Nipissing Sting, Wikwemikong’s Nicholas Corbiere got his teammates off on the right foot early, firing a goal from the slot to get the elder Panthers off to a solid start. However, in the third period it was the Panthers who needed a fourth goal to tie the contest and pick up the point. Panthers’ goalie Alex Martin of Gore Bay was especially strong in the first 2 periods to keep the locals in front. Incidentally, Wikwemikong’s Bo Peltier played a steady game as well between the pipes for the visiting Sting. Greg Doane played a strong game on defense for the Panthers.
Former Panther Aysia Debassige-Francis continued her strong play for the Sudbury, Lady Wolves AA Atoms. Her squad earned the championship banner of the Cambridge Roadrunners Tournament where Aysia blasted a pivotal, slap-shot goal to lead her team to defeat Stratford in the championship final. Continue the great work, Aysia. Keep that Ladies’ National team goal in sight!
Another former Panther, Gregory Paquet-Trudeau, has been having a stand-out year for his St. Charles Cardinal squad that has been toiling with the Manitoulin Mustangs for SDSSA supremacy over these last three months. In MSS’ 2nd last game of the season Greg secured his title as the league’s top scorer. Featured in a recent Sudbury Star article, Paquet-Trudeau and St. Charles posted a 6-2 win over the Mustangs last Thursday evening to close out the Cards’ final regular season game.
Tallying four points in the contest lifted the 16-year-old Grade 11 student to the top of the league scoring race with an impressive seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points in 10 games played. To add to that Greg also played a strong defensive game and showed a physical presence as well with some big hits landed throughout the contest to be the Star’s Cambrian College/Sudbury Star High School Game Changer Award winner.
Curling Kudos
As SudburySports.com reports, local curler Jordan Chandler is just one of two unbeaten rinks at the 2016 Travellers NOCA (Northern Ontario Curling Championships) Men’s East Qualifier Championships! The Sudbury Curling Club foursome of Chandler, Matt Dumontelle, Sandy MacEwan (former Little Current teacher) and Lee Toner, as play continues at the Idyllwild Golf and Country Club.
Jordan went right down to the wire before putting away the Sudbury Dustin Montpellier rink (interestingly, Dustin was featured this week by the CBC on the occasion of the 20K-plus YouTube views of his vocal rendition of Adele’s song, “Hello”).
The all-Northern Ontario qualifier is set for February 10 -14 at the North Bay Granite Club and the Chandler rink is focusing on being there. Go Jordan, Go!
MMHA Spotlight
Here is another excellent reminder from our Manitoulin Minor Hockey Association: As we are ending our regular season at Manitoulin Minor Hockey and getting ready for playoffs, all those associated with hockey are giving it their, “110% effort.”
Players are digging every chance they get, grabbing every opportunity they can to sink the puck in the net, bench staff are counting points and encouraging their players to give it their all, and parents are turning into amazing cheerleaders.
Let’s keep it positive and not worry if a child makes a wrong play or a referee makes a call you don’t agree with…enjoy the game for what it is, that the kids are out getting active with their friends and playing a sport they love.
If there is any hesitation on your part to understand this, go and find the nearest tyke (initiation) game and watch it. This is hockey at its finest. Twelve players on the ice battling for the puck, giving it their all with no concept of poor sportsmanship, disputed calls, or angry crowds. All they know is to get the puck and try and score, then come off the ice for a break and do it all over again with their team. These very young players will look up to the higher divisions to try and model those players in their association. Are we providing and encouraging positive role models in our atom, peewee, bantam, and midget players? Let’s hope so.
Blast from the past…
In NOJHL news from the new-year of 2005 the Manitoulin Wild were hanging tough as an upstart squad in the Junior A league. In that newscast of a Manitoulin Wild game from January 13th The Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats had just managed to double up on the local NOJHL squad. 4 – 2. On the scoresheet for the home-team were Brent Assiniwe (current, Panther Atom, Head Coach) and Eldon Cheechoo each scoring and goaltender Matt George keeping the score close.
At the end of that week the NOJHL also announced Wild forward Denis French had been chosen as their Player of the Week. The 20 year-old Sutton/Ontario native recorded back to back two goal games, as the Wild split a pair of contests in the previous week.
A good sport is good for sports.
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