Saskatchewan digs deep to take NAHC gold

It is unlikely that anybody could have predicted the ending to the girls’ gold-medal contest at this year’s National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

Saskatchewan and Ontario were deadlocked at 3-3 in the late stages of the match, which was held on May 3 in Kahnawake, Que.

Saskatchewan’s chances did not look good when the team was assessed a penalty with just 98 seconds left in the game.

But instead of Ontario scoring a powerplay goal to win the contest, it was the Saskatchewan squad that netted not only one but two shorthanded goals to register a 5-3 triumph.

The Saskatchewan boys’ squad also captured the gold medal in its division. Saskatchewan doubled British Columbia 4-2 in its championship game.

Delaney Ross, a 16-year-old Cree forward from Canoe Lake First Nation, scored both of the shorthanded goals for Saskatchewan in the girls’ final. Ross was not only named to the first-team all-star squad but she was also chosen as the tournament’s most valuable player.

“There must be hockey gods because they were smiling on us,” said Saskatchewan coach Lynn Regnier.

With the dramatic ending in its final match, Regnier’s squad was able to keep its unblemished record at the NAHC intact. His team won all six of its tournament games.

Regnier, who coaches a female Midget team in Prince Albert, had also served as the bench boss of the Saskatchewan entry at last year’s NAHC. That team won a silver medal at the tournament, which was also held in Kahnawake.

Regnier’s 18-year-old daughter Kelly, a previous NAHC participant, served as an assistant coach with the club this time around.

The younger Regnier was not allowed to compete in this year’s event as she also plays at the university level. She’s gearing up for the second season at the University of Regina.

Besides the finish in the championship match, Regnier was also surprised with another tournament happening. He thought his charges would face a stiff challenge from the host Quebec-based team called Eastern Door and the North. EDN had won last year’s title.

“We thought EDN would be a bit stronger,” said Regnier, whose team did not end up facing the defending tournament champs.  “But they were a little bit younger than they were last year.”
The host EDN squad, however, still managed to win the bronze medal this time around.

Ross was not the only Saskatchewan player to be honoured afterwards. Goalie Summer Roberts and Whitney Thorp, who played defence, were also named to the tournament’s first-team all-star squad.

As for the Saskatchewan boys’ side, it had a slow start at the NAHC. The club lost its first game 3-0 versus B.C. and then settled for a 5-5 tie against Manitoba.

“I think in our first game we weren’t sharp as a team,” said Saskatchewan coach Shawn Phaneuf. “B.C. capitalized on two early turnovers and had an early 2-0 lead. We were like skating in sand the rest of the game.”

Phaneuf added he was not concerned with the team’s slow start.
“We knew we’d get out of pool play either way,” he said. “But the road might be tougher.”

After round-robin action all eight participants in the division advanced to the quarter-final stage. By finishing third in its grouping, Saskatchewan had to face the Number 2 seed from the other division, Ontario, in its quarter-final match.

Saskatchewan downed Ontario 4-2 in that game. And Phaneuf’s side then earned a berth into the gold-medal match by defeating Alberta 6-4 in its semi-final outing.

“We kind of got better every game,” Phaneuf said.

Goalie Rylan Parenteau, who spent this past season at the Junior A level with the Weyburn Red Wings, members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, shone at the NAHC.

“He was a big reason for our success,” Phaneuf said of the puckstopper, who was named to the tournament’s first-team all-star club.

Two other Saskatchewan players were also singled out for their performances.  Team captain Cody Young was selected as the tournament’s MVP. And left winger Lantz Hiebert was named to the tournament’s first-team all-star squad.

Phaneuf said many others contributed to the team’s success.
“Those three guys stood out but we had so many good performances from a lot of guys,” he said.

Like Regnier, Phaneuf also had a family member that was part of the team. His 18-year-old son Taryn, who had won a gold medal with Saskatchewan at the 2012 NAHC, served as the team trainer this year.

A total of 16 clubs (eight female, eight male) took part at this year’s NAHC.

The tournament primarily features Bantam (13-14) and Midget (15-17) players. Teams in the girls’ division though are allowed to carry a maximum of four overage players, who are either 18 or 19.