It was the end of an incredible run for a few members of the Grand Plains Ice Dogs.
The program began play in the 2016-17 season with an Atom team and years later, some of those players are set to graduate. Carli Durston is not one of those players that will graduate as she has one more year left of U18 play.
She has played with the program for the past seven years and the team has enjoyed its fair share of success during this time.
"I have really enjoyed playing with this group of girls, I believe we all work very well together," said Durston. "Everyone contributes and that is why we were able to enjoy so much success. We have a very talented group of girls and I'm already looking forward to seeing what we can achieve next season."
It was a storybook ending for those graduating players like Caitlin Fillion, who Darnell Duff will catch up with very soon. While it isn't always about winning and losing, no doubt winning feels exceptional and the Ice Dogs can share first-hand how great it feels to win.
Earlier this year at a tournament in Prince Albert, the team won all five of their games to win the Foxes Tournament.
Following that championship, the team returned to the Parkland to focus on league play. After a slow start, the Ice Dogs started to click around the mid-portion of the season and when they caught fire, no one could stop them.
Then with a chance to win their league on home ice at the GACC earlier this month, hundreds of people packed the GACC as they hoped to witness history in the making. After losing game four to Rivers which forced a deciding fifth game, the Ice Dogs scored early and often in a 5-2 victory as they won the league title.
For the graduating players, it was the perfect send-off to an incredible journey with the Ice Dogs. For Carli, it was a beautiful send-off to the season and it now has her wanting more when the next season begins.
"It was so special, we lost in Gilbert Plains in double overtime the previous year which was heartbreaking," offered Durston. "It was great to win at home in front of so many special people. We had the chance to celebrate with our family and friends after, it was pretty incredible and it was a moment that I will never forget."
Carli will certainly make many more great memories next season, but for now, she's looking back on the past seven years and thinking what a run.
"We have won a medal at provincials every year except one and we also won a provincial championship back in Atom," ended Durston. "We won a tournament in Saskatoon and of course that one in Prince Albert, that's very exciting. I love being an Ice Dog and I can't wait for next season.
