Clipper Ice Sports (CIS) is having a banner year, according to its board president, Travis Mason. This season, CIS has 225 registered players and a record number of players who have graduated out of CIS into Eastman AA and AAA regional teams.
The Clippers have successfully run their U9 and U11 home tournaments for the season. Mason says the tournaments were especially memorable for giving everyone the chance to welcome so many families from other communities.
However, the season hasn’t been without its challenges.
“It has been a lot more difficult this year versus last year to run tournaments, as we have had to use the Ste. Agathe Arena, since the CRRC wasn’t as available to our tournament committee as the Nighthawks games and practices took some ice away,” Mason says.
That being said, Mason has found the presence of the Nighthawks to be a tremendous boon to the minor hockey program and its many players.
“The addition of the Nighthawks in Niverville has been refreshing, as the players have been going to CIS practices and working with coaches to help provide role models for our players, as well as give coaches help with drills,” he says. “We also have had Ethan Maertens-Poole, the Nighthawks assistant coach, come work with each team as part of a coach mentorship pilot project we’re looking to implement next year.”
The CIS programs have continued to grow this year from a developmental standpoint, in large part due to an ongoing partnership with the RINK Training Centre in Winnipeg. Coaches from RINK have been on hand to work with each team and their coaches once per month.
Niverville has also been able to revive the CanSkate program once a month for the players on local U7 teams.
This year, the organization has created a goalie development subcommittee as well to create a plan that focuses on goalies, as they are sometimes a bit neglected in team practices.
“These types of programs and our unbelievably dedicated coaches have helped with the success of our program at all ages,” says Mason.
He reports that the U11 home tournament, which was hosted mid-November, saw a clean sweep at all three levels—A, B, and C. All three home teams brought home the gold that weekend.
As for other midseason updates, Mason says that the U7 teams will be starting their fun league this month, during which they will play against St. Adolphe, Grunthal, and Rat River.
The U9A team currently holds a 1–4 record. Despite this, they have found success in tournament play, going undefeated at an event earlier this season in Portage la Prairie. The U9B team, on the other hand, has a 4–1 record in league play. The U9C Gold team sits at 4–2, and the U9C Blue team are at 2–3 as of the midseason break.
The four U11 teams are dominating this year at all levels.
“The U11A team has been a force in the first half of the season, as they have won the Winnipeg Rob West Tournament A1 Division, the Clippers Heritage Classic, and the Winkler Cup,” says Mason. “They’re undefeated in league play and sit in first place with 93 goals for and 10 goals against. They have some tough tournaments ahead with Grand Forks, the Tournament of Champions in Brandon, and Provincials. Their team play has been something teams all over the province have been talking about.”
The U11B team is currently tied for first place with Lac du Bonnet with a record of 6–0. They went undefeated in the Clippers Heritage Classic tournament. They have 59 goals for and nine goals against in six league games. They will have a busy second half of the season and Mason says they already have their sights set on Provincials.
The U11C White team has also had a great start to the season, winning a gold medal at a tournament in Morden and another at the Clippers Heritage Classic. They currently hold a 4–1–1 record, scoring 42 goals and giving up 23.
The U11C Blue team also sits at a 4–1–1 record after losing a tough battle against the U11C White Clippers during the gold medal finals of the Clippers Heritage Classic. U11C Blue has only given up 14 goals in six league games.
In the U13 division, a few strong players have moved on to the 13AA male and female programs.
The U13A team holds a 2–5–1 record after eight games.
“They will come back after the break hungry to move up in the standings,” Mason says. “They will look to focus on creating some offence down the stretch.”
The U13B team has had a tough start to the season, however, as they’re still searching for their first win in league play.
As for the U13C squad, they’ve completed the first half of the season with a 2–5 record and they’ll look to build on that as 2023 moves along.
The U15 team lost a lot of players to the U15AA Southwest Jets and U15AAA program. However, they’re still holding their heads above water, with a 4–3–1 record.
“They will look to make a big push, as the coaching staff will have them prepared for playoffs,” Mason says.
Finally, the U18 team has a 5–3–1 record and have scored the second most goals in the league. December was a difficult month for them, though, as they were 1–3–1 for the month. They will be starting 2023 off by taking on the Grunthal Red Wings, who are one spot below the Clippers in the standings.
Mason credits the board members with much of CIS’s success this year
“We have a really green board, as most are in their first or second year,” he says. “They all have done a great job filling the roles of long-term board members. Without each board member, our program would struggle. I’m so grateful for the work they put in.”
Mason points to two people who he feels should receive some well-deserved extra recognition.
“I would like to thank Elissa Leah, who has a challenging job as ice convenor, managing ice for three rinks and 21 teams. Her work goes unnoticed. She does a wonderful job with keeping us all on the ice.”
The other board member he would like to single out is Pat Guenette, who has taken on the role of referee-and-chief.
“Pat has always looked after our refs very well, helping support them,” says Mason. “He has started to host a try-to-be-a-ref clinic so young refs can feel comfortable on the ice. They get a feel of what it takes to be a ref. Thanks, Pat, for the work you do. Without refs, our kids can’t play games.”
