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The Parkland U-18 Rangers are in somewhat unfamiliar territory to start the season.
Just months removed from posting a 13-win season and missing the playoffs by 13 points, the Rangers are tied atop the Manitoba U-18 AAA Hockey League with wins in five of their six contests. Parkland has scored 27 goals while giving up 18 with the team's power play being a driving factor at 27.3%. Dauphin has scored six goals on the man advantage across 22 chances. The Rangers are also elite on the penalty kill at 89.2%.
Josh Tripp is the team's head coach and his staff includes Matt Kustra and Tom White.
"I am very pleased, it's been a great start to the season," said Tripp. "The guys have been great, they're putting in the work. Everyone has bought in and it's paying off for us."
The Rangers lost their first game of the season last Saturday when they saw a 3-1 lead evaporate in the third period in a 4-3 defeat against Central Plains. Going up against a very talented Interlake Lightning team the following afternoon, the Rangers responded. Alex Campbell scored his third of the season with just 11 seconds left in regulation to force extra time. Brayden Budolowski was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Rangers boarded their bus with an extra point.
"I was very pleased with the response on Sunday against Interlake," added Tripp. "They came out and worked as hard as they could. I think we deserved to win that game in regulation but we ended up getting it done regardless and that's what matters."
It's time for some home cooking for the Rangers as they play three games this weekend. They play Friday at Credit Union Place before playing at the Swan River Centennial Arena on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon against the Norman Northstars.
Friday night's game will be 'Hockey Fights Cancer' Night at the rink. The team will be decked out in their pink jerseys with pink tape, raising money for cancer wards throughout the Parkland region.
The Southwest Cougars will be Parkland's opposition and they enter with four wins in their first seven games.
Tripp talks about the importance of the game.
"It's an awesome event that we have, it's bigger than the game," commented Tripp. "Cancer affects so many amazing people. I think it's great that we put on this night to talk about it, raise awareness and funds, it's very important."
Quinten Fisk will enter the game as Parkland's leader. The Dauphin star is tied for second in league scoring with 10 points and his seven goals are the second-most. Fisk posted 17 points last year and with a year of experience under his belt, the 16-year-old has taken his game to the next level.
"He has been awesome, he works every shift and is one of those guys that leads by example," ended Tripp. "Even if he doesn't score a goal or get a point, he's hitting guys and making a difference. He is showing the younger guys how to play the right way."
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Breken Brezden is back for another exciting year on the ice and the Dauphinite is off to an incredible start.
Representing Skate Dauphin and living in Ontario, Brezden has had three great performances to date. Starting with a Skate Ontario competition, Brezden earned a bronze medal in her short program before stepping up in her free program. She beat her nearest competitor by more than 13 points to win her first gold medal of the season.
Brezden then made the trip to compete in an event in Montreal. Going up against many of the top skaters across the country, Brezden rose above with an outstanding free program. She was in fifth after scoring 54.05 points in her short program, two shy of the leader. Brezden then scored 118.59 points in her free program, the most of any, as she locked up another gold medal with 172.64 points.
Most recently, Breken nabbed another bronze medal at Skate Ontario Sectionals. Sitting in second after her short program of 53.45 points, Brezden scored 109.10 points in her free program to finish third. To date this year, the star figure skater from Dauphin has two gold and two bronze medals to her name.
"I think the season has gone very well, I'm very proud of myself and all of the hard work I have put in," said Brezden. "It set me up to feel very good about myself moving forward into the winter months."
Before resuming her competition schedule in Ontario, Brezden is ready for the opportunity of a lifetime. Qualifying through points earned, Brezden is the first Manitoban in 40 years selected to represent Canada at the Challenger Series Trophy Metropole Nice Cote d'Azur in Nice, France. It will be Breken's first time on the international stage.
"I'm very excited, France is an incredible place to make my international debut," offered Brezden. "I'm looking forward to making a ton of memories and going through the entire experience."
Regarding results, Breken will push herself harder than ever as she represents the country.
"Going into these competitions, you never really think about what your score will be, you almost want to put the results on the back burner," said Brezden. "I'm focusing on doing what I can do and doing it as well as I can and from there, you can see the results."
Now let's put all of Breken's great results this year on the back burner for a moment. While winning medals is always the goal, it's how Brezden got to where she is that keeps her going daily.
"I love the process of it all. Of course, the results are awesome and important, but they're not everything," ended Brezden. "To be able to come to the rink every day and spend as much time on the ice as I do, it's a privilege. I get to build on my skills and refine my programs to make sure all of the details are there and to me, that's extremely satisfying."
The competition will begin Wednesday and run through Sunday.
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It wasn't as pretty as Sunday but a win is a win.
Trailing 4-2 in the second period, Dauphin stormed back and Nathan Lenoski (3) scored the game winner in the third as Dauphin skated off with a thrilling 5-4 win over Waywayseecappo on Tuesday night.
Opening up a busy week that'll see the team play four games, Dauphin struggled at times and the Wolverines played a much better game than they did on Sunday.
Sebastian Hicks scored the first of his two goals to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead before Gabriel Bugeaud (3) scored to tie it up. Ethan Williment (4) then scored a short handed marker to give Dauphin a 2-1 lead after 20.
Waywayseecappo came out firing in the second as they scored three straight to take a 4-2 lead.
Cayden Glover (9) and Madden Murray (3) would score to tie the game up and send the great battle into the dressing room tied at four.
Lenoski then scored the game winner with just more than five minutes left in the third.
Dauphin (7-2) head to Selkirk on Friday, Winnipeg on Saturday and Winkler on Sunday.
Waywayseecappo (3-6) won't play again until next Friday.
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The Dauphin Clippers soccer program was in Minnedosa this weekend for the provincial championships.
On the boys' side, Dauphin lost to Morden, 10-4 and the Morweena Raptors, 7-2. James Gemmill was named the team's Player of the Game in their first match while Braeden Bankert won that award during their second match.
The Neepawa Tigers won the consolation side with a thrilling 1-0 win over Morweena while the Morden Thunder downed Garden Valley, 2-1, in the provincial final.
On the girls' side, Dauphin lost to Morden and Minnedosa/Erickson.
Brooke-Lynn Slyziuk Bramley and Ruth Dandeneau were named Player of the Game during the Clippers' first and second matches.
The W.C. Miller Aces beat Garden Valley in the final while Minnedosa/Erickson downed Oscar Lathlin in the consolation final.
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After an outstanding second half the previous week against their Parkland rival Swan Valley Tigers, the Dauphin Clippers football team carried that momentum into their game on Sunday against Neepawa.
Playing on the road, the Clippers gave Tigers fans nothing to cheer about as Dauphin won 49-0. Morgan had a great game with 149 yards passing and one touchdown. Josh Yakielashek had a monster game on the ground with 126 yards on 10 carries while Julien Lopez had 73 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards.
As did Rudy Oosthuizen, Blake Thacker had three tackles while Colten Miner had two. Both Alex Thompson and Brenden Higgins had four tackles apiece.
The Clippers are now 5-1 this season.
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The Dauphin Kings welcomed the Waywayseecappo Wolverines to town on Sunday afternoon and embarrased them.
Led by a four-point performance from Matthew Thomas, the Kings hammered Waywayseecappo, 8-0, in front of a great crowd at the rink. Cayden Glover scored another two goals for Dauphin while Nathan Lenoski scored his first as a King and added another to finish with two points.
Ethan Stewart, Joey Kubas, Thomas, and Ashton Paul also scored for Dauphin while Cole Sheffield finished with 30 saves for his second shutout of the season.
Dauphin (6-2) will now head out on the road beginning with a rematch on Tuesday in Waywayseecappo (3-5). Darnell Duff and Jeff Henson will have the call of that game starting with the Parkland Source for Sports pregame show at 6:45.
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The Parkland U-18 Rangers are heading back home after earning two of a possible four points this weekend.
On Saturday, the Rangers blew a 3-1 third period lead as the Central Plains Capitals scored three times in the third period to secure a 4-3 win over the Rangers, who lost their first game of the season after winning four straight contests.
Quinten Fisk continued his impressive start to the season as he scored twice while Ryzlie Nepinak netted one goal for the Rangers. Kyle Pelletier made 27 saves in the defeat.
On Sunday, the club ended their weekend with a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory over the Interlake Lightning. The Rangers went 6-for-6 on the penalty kill and racked up 44 shots while Piet Mierau made 35 saves in the victory.
Alex Campbell tied the game with 11 seconds left while Liam Chartrand also scored for Parkland in the victory. Brayden Budolowski scored the shootout winner. The Rangers play on Friday at Credit Union Place as Southwest comes to town.
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The Dauphin Kings have had trouble scoring goals at times this season.
Saturday could be exactly what htey needed as they went off in the midway period against the Winnipeg Freeze at Credit Union Place. On a busy weekend in the Parkland, the Kings gave their fans plenty to cheer about in a 9-4 win against the winless Winnipeg club.
Trailing 3-1 just more than three minutes into the second, Madden Murray scored his second of the year to bring Dauphin within a goal and they never looked back. The club scored six more goals in the second period to take an 8-3 lead after 40 minutes. Goals were scored by Daniel Helary (1), Rylan Gage (1), Gabriel Bugeaud (2), Ashton Paul (2), Matthew Thomas (1), and Declan Hoad (2).
Cayden Glover then added another goal in the third to cap off a two marker performance for the 20-year-old from Brandon. Victor Larin earned his first MJHL win between the pipes for the Kings.
Dauphin (5-2) will now welcome Waywayseecappo (3-4) to town on Sunday afternoon. You can hear that game with Darnell Duff and Jeff Henson starting at 3:50.
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Jake Penrose had one major goal heading into the 2024-25 season.
He wanted to become a head official in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). At his age, some may have thought it would be a tall task and one that not many can achieve. But when you see Jake and understand what he is all about, you will quickly realize that no stage is too large for him.
He's a driven young man who has dedicated countless hours to honing his craft. On June 19, Jake got a phone call from the league's director of officiating Pat Gagnon and it was a call he will never forget. Pat congratulated Jake and welcomed him to the elite group of referees that would work games this season.
From Dauphin, it was a proud moment.
"It feels great, I achieved my goal which is very important," said Penrose. "I was lucky enough to have a very good camp in the spring and then I was hired on, feels awesome."
The countdown was on. Jake was months away at that point from reffing his first MJHL game and was thrilled to know that it would come in his hometown. Penrose was one of the officials for the Dauphin Kings' home opener as they welcomed the Virden Oil Capitals on September 21.
Penrose skated on the ice with a big smile and in front of more than 1100 fans, many of which he knew and cared dearly for, he was right where he wanted to be.
"I was emotional and excited, it was great that I had the chance to do it in my hometown," offered Penrose. "I know my parents wore my jerseys in the crowd which was very special to me. Some of my friends were there as well and everyone was congratulating me after it. It was nice to be back in my hometown for that one, a night I won't forget."
As he makes his way up the ladder, Jake wants to thank Derian Penziwol. Derian will officiate his final MJHL game on October 27 at Credit Union Place when the Winkler Flyers are in town. Penziwol is a long-time official in the league and took Jake under his wing at a young age.
"We met at the golf course a few years ago and he brought me up the ropes with him, he has been the key person in my success so far," said Penrose. "He has other things that require his attention and I'm super happy for him. I am extremely grateful for everything that he has done for me and will continue to do for me. He's a great man and I wish him the best."
Four games into his journey as a referee in the MJHL, Jake is pleased with how things are going.
"From the feedback I have received, I think I've done pretty well and am settling in nicely," said Penrose. "It has been nice to work with senior officials, they're helping me navigate things. I'm just trying to improve every game."
Jake notes the biggest learning curve has been adapting to the pace of play.
"It's very different compared to what I have worked in the past which is minor hockey," continued Penrose. "Just learning to navigate through the situations, the scrums and all that. It's definitely a big step up but I think I'm doing well."
Penrose will be back on the ice next Friday as a head man when the Parkland U18 Rangers play.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
If you called the program a dynasty, you would be spot on.
The Dauphin Clippers girls' rugby 7s completed a three-peat on Tuesday in the Westman High School Rugby League. Playing their final jamboree of the season, Dauphin cruised to three more victories on their way to winning another banner.
In three games on Tuesday, Ruth Evans had two tries and two converts, Kiersten Vandekerckhove finished with three tries, Felicity Sahulka was impressive with four tries and Sam Gryba had four converts. Paityn Bourgouin (two tries), Victoria Carter (one convert), Mila Heschuk (three tries), Bella Williams (one convert), and McKenzie Kropelnicki (one try) also produced points for Dauphin.
It was the team's third consecutive league title.
Shawn Sarkonak is the team's head coach.
"It's exciting, the girls were ecstatic," said Sarkonak. "Kent Miner, my assistant coach and myself couldn't be happier. The group worked incredibly hard and deserve this."
While the team dominated Rivers to claim the title, the whole season was one to remember for the team. They gave up just 14 points in 12 games finishing with a record of 11 wins and just a single loss.
Ten of their 12 games saw the team shut out their opponents. Many of the members of this team played for Team West at the Manitoba Summer Games in August, where they won a bronze medal, but that wasn't enough for a hungry group.
"They felt there was something to prove, they weren't happy with the bronze medal," offered Sarkonak. "Redemption was on the brain and they went out there and proved it. They played a clean game and champions we are again."
As it has been well documented, rugby in the Parkland has taken off over the years. Starting with the Pirates youth program and running through the senior Mavericks program.
Sarkonak is one of the reasons rugby is in such a great spot in the region.
"I keep going back to the day I came back home, if it hadn't been for the youth program, we wouldn't be where we are today," ended Sarkonak. "It's a testament to the committment of our amazing volunteers and coaches. Then our players who put it all on the line."
The future is bright but for now, Shawn and the rest of the Clippers will take some time to celebrate their completion of the three-peat.
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The Dauphin Kings couldn't have asked for much more to start the new season with wins in four straight games.
The team played excellent defensively and managed enough offence to build confidence and their first winning streak of the season. Not losing a single game in September, Dauphin is now in search of their first win in October.
The Kings, who are 4-2 on the campaign, find themselves four points behind the Northern Manitoba Blizzard for first place in the MGEU West Division. Dauphin does have two games in hand and will be a busy team over the next week. Beginning on Friday, the Kings will play six games in nine days.
Offence:
Goals For - 16
Power play - 23.8%
Leaders - Cayden Glover & Ty Pratte - 5 points
There is no lack of firepower up front. With returning players such as Cayden Glover, Gavin Nemis, Madden Murray, Ashton Paul, and Gabriel Bugeaud, to name a few, the Kings have all the necessary pieces to be a very good offensive team. However, the team has been inconsistent offensively.
Among playoff teams, only the Winkler Flyers (15) have scored fewer goals than the Kings (16). In comparison, Northern Manitoba has 28 goals to lead the West while Selkirk's 41 goals lead the East Division. Glover and Ty Pratte lead the Kings with five points apiece, which is outside of the Top 20.
Glover has four goals, Ethan Williment has three and no other King has found the back of the net more than once.
There's no doubt that there is talent and significant talent at that. Sometimes it just takes a little extra time for players to find their stride and this could be the case. Scoring isn't easy, nothing is given and the Kings know that. No real cause for concern here, this team has too many offensive stars to be stopped for long.
Defence:
Goals Against - 9
Penalty kill - 76.5%
Rock solid, that's the best way to describe the team's defensive play this year. The team's nine goals against are tied for the fewest in the league with Steinbach. Giving up just 1.5 goals per game is impressive and is the main reason why the team's struggles offensively haven't hurt them terribly.
Dauphin has given up two goals or fewer in five of their six games with the lone blip being Portage scoring three against them last weekend. Defensive performances like this are expected when you have a goalie with Cole Sheffield's talent between the pipes. The 20-year-old from London is in mid-season form and will only get better.
In front of Sheffield, Doug Hedley has assembled a great crew of defenders. Led by the smooth-skating Naaman Hofer, Dauphin can be confident with any pair on the ice.
Recent Additions:
Daniel Helary - acquired from the Flin Flon Bombers, Helary brings outstanding size to the Kings blueline as the rear guard stands in at 6-foot-4. Helary made his debut with the Kings last Friday and loves to jump into the play which comes easy to him with how mobile he is.
An 18-year-old from Calgary, Daniel had 22 regular season points in 29 games with the Prairie Hockey Academy U18 Prep team last year and another four points in three playoff games. He never did play a game with the Bombers which means last Friday was his junior hockey debut.
Matt Thomas - like Helary, Matt is a very mobile defenseman. While he doesn't possess the size that Daniel does, Thomas does not shy away from any type of physical play and adds an element of offence from the back end. In 52 games split between the Central Canada Hockey League's (CCHL) Kemptville 73's and Ontario Junior Hockey League's (OJHL) Leamington Flyers, the rear guard had 33 points in 52 regular season games. He also posted seven points in 13 playoff games.
Matt will celebrate his 19th birthday next month and while it is unknown when he will make his debut with the team, fans can be excited about Thomas in the fold.
What's Next?
Lots of hockey. After eight days off from game action, the Kings return to the ice on Saturday evening as they welcome the Winnipeg Freeze to town at 7:30. Dauphin then welcomes Waywayseecappo to town on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 with Darnell Duff having the call of that game on 730CKDM.
Into next week, the Kings will play four games starting on Tuesday at the Arena Complex as they play the Wolverines for the second time in three days.
Dauphin then embarks on their first overnight road trip of the season as they play three games in the southern part of the province next weekend. They're in Selkirk to play the Steelers next Friday, and in Winnipeg to play the Freeze next Saturday before wrapping up a busy weekend and stretch on Sunday in Winkler.
Kings Hockey on 730CKDM:
Two losses in a row but rest assured Kings fans, there is nothing to panic about. Doug Hedley and his great coaching staff including Chad Facey, Rick Freeze, Dan Keeping, and Brad Dupasquier are great teachers of the game. In talks with the players, they are all great students of the game and are here to get better and win games in the Blue & White.
Ethan Williment's thoughts on the team were very concise and clear.
“We have played good hockey but not great hockey yet,” said Williment. “It’s still early in the season; we have to work out a few things here. I think we’re going be a very good team in the next few weeks, there’s a lot of belief in our room.”
It's time to buckle up Kings fans, the team is back on the ice on Saturday and they love your support.
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