After an impressive season, the U13 AA Eastman Selects have come out on top of their league, being named city champs—and they did it with the help of five local players who earlier in their young careers played for the Niverville Clippers.
Those players are Emry Gonzaga, Nikko Lemoine, Ethan King, and Zaiden Mcdonald-Horvath.
Local goalie Isabelle Labossiere also contributed to the winning season, although she unfortunately had to miss the final game. She was outstanding throughout the year.
In the regular season, the Selects notched a stellar 22–3–1 record, earning them a spot in the playoffs. Their record was good enough for them to finish in the number one spot.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Selects went up against the Railcats White squad.
“The team came together and played some of the best hockey that they have played all year, taking the Railcats out with two straight wins,” says parent Ryan Horvath.
Next up: the Rebels Black team in the second round. The Selects had only encountered the Rebels one time during the regular season, a game which had resulted in the Selects’ first loss by a score of 6–4.
But in the playoffs, the Selects went on a tear.
“The team was unstoppable and swept that series three straight,” says Horvath. “The team was hot!”
Going into the final round, this time against the Brandon Wheat Kings Black, the Selects had won 17 straight games.
However, the Selects were about to run into a speed bump, losing the first game 2–4.
“The team reset and bounced back hard, winning three straight in the final round,” Horvath says. “We had such a great group of kids and coaches that led to the success of our team this year.”
