By WAYNE SHIELS
Teams were lighting the lamp often in non-stop ball hockey action at the Henk Ruys Soccer Centre and Merlis Belsher Place during the last week of July.
Teams from across Canada competed at the Canadian Ball Hockey National Junior Championships for U17-U20 Girls and U15-U17-U19 Boys and U23 Mens.The rosters for Team Saskatchewan included many players who have starred on the ice at Martensville and Warman during the winter months and will be soon attending WHL, SJHL, and AAA camps.
Undoubtedly the quick ball movement and conditioning from the running involved in the summer game will be a great benefit as they pursue their ice hockey dreams.
On the U17 Team Sask was Martensville’s Blake Chorney, Easton Woytiuk, Calder Hamiton, Dade Wotherspoon, Evan Skoronski, Warman’s Trey Markus, Kanyan Unger, Liam Bursaw, Reid Slugoski, Austin Pacik, Waldheim’s Jaxon Herchak, Clavet’s Carsen Adair and Warman U18AAA Wildcats Connor Bear and Kaleb Dewar.
They were able to reach the ‘B’ Division gold medal game with an exciting overtime win in the semi-finals before losing to British Columbia 6-3 in a game played at Henk Ruys on Saturday, July 27. Scoring for Saskatchewan was Ayden Ostifie-Boser with an assist from Evan Skoronski; Austin Pacik from Tyson Janzen and Blake Chorney. Blake Chorney gave Saskatchewan a 3-2 lead in the second period. Assisting on that goal was Liam Bursaw and Connor Bear.
The U19 Team Sask had Martensville’s Rylan Pearce, Jack Janzen, Warman’s Carsyn Dyck, Luke Brunen and Warman U18AAA Wildcats alumni Connor Gabriel and Dawson Gerwing. After a slow start the team was able to win the ‘B’ Division gold medal game, defeating the Kitchener/Waterloo Rangers 5-4 on goals by Ethan Sauter (2), Jack Janzen, Luke Brunen and Rylan Pearce.
The silver medal-winning U23 Team Sask included Martensville’s Mason Engele, Cole Duperreault, Warman’s Matthew Hennessey, Holden Knights and Clavet’s Prescot Senger. They lost a very close 7-6 championship game to Tecumseth Xtreme U23. Engele had three assists in that game while Cole Duperrault and Prescot Senger hit the twine on multiple occasions.