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The Gilbert Plains Trojans varsity girls' volleyball team should be extremely proud of themselves after an incredible weekend in Brandon.
Playing in the DIG tournament, the Trojans won the consolation A-side championship to finish ninth of 48 teams. They were also the highest-finishing 'A' school at the event. In the consolation final, the Trojans put together a hard-fought three-set win against the W.C. Miller Aces, 25-18, 23-25 and 15-9.
In prior playoff action, Gilbert Plains pummelled Deloraine in straight sets and outlasted Reston in straight sets.
In a thrilling Round of 16 matchup on the A side, the Trojans battled the top-ranked Vincent Massey Brandon, the best 'AAAA' team in the province. Despite ultimately falling in a tough three-set battle, the Trojans showcased their tenacity and skill by clinching a set.
This impressive achievement highlighted their resilience against the best team in the province.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Dauphin Kings are firing on all cylinders and the Canadian Junior Hockey (CJHL) League has noticed.
In the CJHL Top 20 rankings this week, the Kings are ranked 12th. Dauphin extended their winning streak to five games on Saturday after posting a 6-4 win against the Selkirk Steelers. During their hot streak, the Kings downed the defending league champion Winkler Flyers twice to go along with wins against the Blues and Freeze.
16 games into their season, the Kings have racked up 12 wins which is tied for the most in the league with Steinbach, Selkirk and Portage. Dauphin sits fourth in the league with 61 goals and their 37 goals against are the second-fewest, only behind Steinbach.
Dauphin's 181 penalty minutes are also the second-fewest in the league. Their penalty kill is tied with Niverville for the best in the league at 86.2%. Dauphin's power play is sitting third at 27%. The Kings have a massive weekend coming up with two games at Credit Union Place.
They welcome the Steinbach Pistons to town on Friday. Steinbach is tied for the league lead with Selkirk as both teams have 25 points. Sitting with 24, the Kings could jump into first place overall in the league with a win in regulation. Then on Sunday, the Kings welcome the Steelers to town. Dauphin has a slight one-point advantage over the Northern Manitoba Blizzard for first place in the MGEU West Division, with a game in hand.
The following are the CJHL Top 20 rankings – Fuelled by Gatorade, as of Nov. 4:
RANK TEAM (LEAGUE) (LAST WEEK)
1. Rockland Nationals (CCHL) (1)
2. Edmundston Blizzard (MHL) (2)
3. Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL) (4)
4. Leamington Flyers (OJHL) (3)
5. Greater Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL) (6)
6. Summerside Western Capitals (MHL) (5)
7. Steinbach Pistons (MJHL) (9)
8. Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) (13)
9. Melfort Mustangs (SJHL) (12)
10. Whitecourt Wolverines (AJHL) (18)
11. Dryden GM Ice Dogs (SIJHL) (16)
12. Dauphin Kings (MJHL) (NR)
13. Canmore Eagles (AJHL) (8)
14. Condors du Cégep Beauce-Appalaches (LHJAAAQ) (19)
15. Braves de Valleyfield (LHJAAAQ) (11)
16. Haliburton County Huskies (OJHL) (10)
17. Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL) (20)
18. Hawkesbury Hawks (CCHL) (14)
19. Hearst Lumberjacks (NOJHL) (NR)
20. Thunder Bay North Stars (SIJHL) (17)
HONOURABLE MENTION: Battlefords North Stars (SJHL); Selkirk Steelers (MJHL); Toronto Patriots (OJHL); Collingwood Blues (OJHL); Navan Grads (CCHL)
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He remembers spending time at the rink watching his dad officiate games.
As Derian Penziwol transitioned from player to spectator, he felt a tug to remain in the game he loved while navigating university life. His father, seeing his passion, suggested becoming an official—a role that would keep him connected to the sport. Little did Derian know, this simple piece of advice would set him on an unforgettable journey, intertwining his academic pursuits with the exhilarating world of officiating. The rest, as they say, is history.
Derian took the necessary steps toward becoming an official and had the chance to share the ice with his dad as a part of the officiating crew on multiple occasions.
"I always remember going to watch him as a kid and it's something that stuck with me," said Penziwol. "It was special to share the ice with him."
Derian, who lived in Dauphin from 2021 to halfway through 2022, was committed to making a name for himself with the stripes on. As is the case with anything, things weren't always easy for Derian and there were growing pains along the way but he knew that hard work and dedication could result in achieving his goals.
Derian's days as an official took the next step when he worked his first Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) game on December 19, 2014, when Waywayseecappo hosted the then OCN Blizzard at the Arena Complex.
He served as a linesman for the game and remembers it as if it were yesterday.
"I kind of lucked out because they had a last-minute back out and I got a call asking if I could work the game," said Penziwol. "I worked that game with Wyatt Rapsky, it was a pretty special moment and it felt great to be on the ice at the next level."
Less than three years after his debut in the MJHL as a linesperson, he made his debut as a referee on September 8, 2017. Continuing to make a name for himself, Derian's list of accomplishments includes participating in the Officials Program of Excellence (OPOE) in October 2019 in Abbotsford, BC, and a Western Hockey League (WHL) exposure camp in June 2022.
One of Derian's favourite moments is working alongside fellow officials with whom he has become very close.
"The time you get to spend with the guys on the road, it's a brotherhood," continued Penziwol. "They become some of your closest friends. We spend a lot of time driving around the province to officiate games so we all get to know one another very well."
After a remarkable decade officiating hundreds of games in Manitoba's top junior league, Penziwol took to the ice for the last time on October 27. Before the Dauphin Kings faced off against the Winkler Flyers, Derian made the heartfelt announcement of his retirement, eager to dedicate more time to his wife and their newborn son. It was a bittersweet farewell, marking the end of an era but the beginning of a new, exciting chapter in his life.
He worked his final game alongside Karlin Kreiger, Nick Bourgeois and Rikki Alston.
"We as a group spent a fair amount of time officiating at different stages of our lives, so it was great to be on the ice with them once more," said Penziwol. "My newborn son was at the game as well which was incredibly special, we took some family photos. My last game is my favourite because my son was there."
Though his days on the officiating field are behind him, Derian is eager to explore new avenues that will keep him connected to the game he loves. For now, however, his focus is on soaking up quality time with his family in Brandon, cherishing every moment before diving back into the sport.
He’ll also be keeping a close eye on Jake Penrose, the rising star from Dauphin who recently made his MJHL officiating debut as a referee. Derian is particularly proud of Jake, having taken him under his wing a few years back. He knows that Penrose has a bright future ahead, and he can’t help but feel a sense of pride in the young referee’s accomplishments. Watching Jake flourish is sure to bring a smile to his face.
"It's really cool to see the time and effort that he has put into becoming an elite official," ended Penziwol. "He is always looking to grow and gain knowledge. He puts in the work and he wants to be good. He is everything that the officiating community could use right now."
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Dauphin Clippers varsity boys volleyball team continues to string together outstanding performances.
Playing in the 48-team DIG tournament in Brandon, the Clippers beat the Niverville Panthers in a three-set thriller, 12-25, 25-18, and 15-10, to claim the B-side championship. The Clippers also beat Wawanesa, Vincent Massey, and John Taylor leading up to their victory against Niverville.
To get things going in round-robin play, Dauphin split with Steinbach Christian and Louis-Riel and they won a split against Calvin Christian.
Previously this season, the team won a tournament at Calvin Christian Collegiate and were finalists at the Bobcat men's invitational.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Parkland U-18 Rangers have suffered their first two-game losing skid of the season.
Following a 7-0 loss on Saturday night, the Rangers couldn't rebound in a rematch with the Winnipeg Wild on Sunday. They were outshot 40-18 and lost the game 7-2. Noah Smigelsky (6) had one goal and one assist while Landyn Garton (1) scored his first goal of the campaign.
Piet Mierau made 33 saves in the defeat. Parkland was only trailing 3-2 after 40 minutes but a tough third period did them in. In two games against the Wild, the Rangers were outscored 9-0 in the third period.
The Rangers head to Souris to play Southwest on Wednesday before heading to Kenora for a pair of games against the Thistles next weekend.
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It's a game that the Parkland U-18 Rangers will want to forget and move forward.
Hosting the Winnipeg Wild for their second game of the weekend, the Wild ran away with five goals in the third period as they hammered the Rangers, 7-0. The loss followed Parkland's impressive victory on Friday night.
Piet Mierau made 43 saves in the game as the Wild were all over the Rangers for the majority of the contest peppering Mierau with 50 shots. Despite the loss, the Rangers have still won nine of their 13 games and are just two points behind the Bruins for first place overall.
The Wild moved into a tie with Parkland with a record of 8-2-1-1. Both teams will return to Credit Union Place for a rematch on Sunday afternoon at 1:30.
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You can make it five in a row and a perfect weekend for the Dauphin Kings.
Wrapping up a quick road trip, the Kings lit up the scoreboard on Saturday night and held on late for a 6-4 win against the Selkirk Steelers at the Recreational Complex. The Kings couldn't have started the game any better as just 47 seconds into the contest, Cayden Glover scored his 15th of the season.
Ashton Paul (5) and Madden Murray (4) would score in the next 12 minutes as Dauphin took a 3-0 lead before Dawson Dear (2) struck back for the Steelers to trim the deficit to 3-1 after 20 minutes.
After killing off an early penalty in the second, Dauphin put together an incredible frame as Madden Murray (5) scored his second of the night while Gavin Nemis (4) also scored to give Dauphin a 5-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Remy Hlady (5) would trim the deficit again for Selkirk before Rylan Gage (3) scored on the power play to give Dauphin a 6-2 lead. Luke McCarthy (9) and Owen Warnick (10) would make it close for Selkirk late; however, it wasn't enough.
With the win, the Kings remain atop the MGEU West Division.
Dauphin (12-4) will play a massive game on Friday when the Steinbach Pistons come to town. That game will be for first place overall after the Pistons beat the Freeze on Saturday to pull into a tie for Selkirk for first overall with 25 points, the Kings have 24.
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The Ste. Rose Celtics varsity girls volleyball team is putting together quite the season on the court.
Ranked third in the most recent power rankings in the 'A' classification, the Celtics did not drop a single set as they defended their home court. 10 teams began the tournament vying for a banner, the Celtics came out on top.
After a perfect round-robin that saw the team win all 10 sets they played, the Celtics received a bye into the semi-finals. They made quick work of Shoal Lake in that game before hammering MacGregor in the gold medal match.
Greg Anstett is the team's assistant coach and is pleased with how the weekend went.
"I'm very happy for the girls, they have worked hard all season," said Anstett. "I'm very glad they're seeing success."
The team has won three tournaments this season.
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The Dauphin Clippers junior varsity boys volleyball team pulled off some impressive upsets on Saturday to win their home tournament.
Hosting a four-team event, the Clippers won one of their three round-robin matches to enter the playoff portion of the event in third place. Going up against a very good Goose Lake Raiders team from Roblin in the semi-finals, Dauphin found a way to get the job done in a straight set, 25-21, 25-18 victory.
Then playing the top-ranked Swan Valley Tigers, who were perfect up until playing Dauphin in the final, the Clippers won a hard fought match in three sets. Scores were 18-25, 25-12 and 15-10.
Goose Lake would beat Grandview to finish in third place.
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The Dauphin Clippers have been scoring at a crazy pace this season and it continued on Saturday afternoon at Credit Union Place.
Playing their fourth game of the season, the Clippers took it to the Boissevain Broncos in a 15-0 win. Just a day after scoring 10 goals during their Every Child Matters game against Sandy Bay, the Clippers once again filled the net early and often.
Ethan Carnegie had the hot stick for Dauphin completing a hat-trick while Jesse Hockridge, Ethan Zalischuk, Noah Hanneson, and Boston Karlson all scored two goals apiece. Scoring singles were Sully Fox, Riley Durston, Ronin Mouck and Josh Yakielashek.
Dauphin (4-0) has scored 40 goals this season, averaging 10 per game. Their next game is next Saturday when they welcome the Vincent Massey Vikings #2 to Credit Union Place.
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There is a new leader in the MGEU West Division and they're from the City of Sunshine.
The Dauphin Kings had to claw back against a stingy Winnipeg Freeze team and Cayden Glover scored the game-winner as the Kings downed the Freeze, 4-3. Dauphin found themselves down 3-1 against the Freeze just more than two minutes into the second.
Needing to step things up, Dauphin did just that. Ashton Paul (4) cut the deficit to one after 40 minutes. Then in the third period, Dauphin took over when Winnipeg got into penalty trouble. Matt Thomas (4) ripped home a shot 4:20 into the third to tie it and less than five minutes later (14) scored on the man advantage to give Dauphin the lead and they never looked back.
Cole Sheffield made 32 saves in the win. Dauphin (11-4) head to Selkirk on Saturday night, Darnell Duff has the broadcast on 730CKDM.
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