Team Ontario triumphant in first games at National Championships
By Laura Robinson
BRITISH COLUMBIA—While the women’s team blew through Team Eastern Door and the North to finish 4-1 at the Lake Cowichican arena, Team Ontario’s men’s team skated to a 10-1 victory over Team Atlantic at the Island Savings Arena in Duncan, B.C. Both teams are on Vancouver Island this week for the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.
The men’s team scored five goals in the first period, one in the second and four in the third. Standout players include: forwards Alex Paul (Community: Bear Island/Temagami, club team: French River Rapids Jr. A) with one goal and three assists; Quinton Loon-Stewardson (Community: Slate Falls, club team: Thunder Bay AAA) scoring three goals; Benjamin Noah (home town: Stratford, club team: Waterloo Siskins Jr. B) scoring two goal and one assist; Shaun General (Community: Upper Cayuga Six Nations, Hagersville Hawks Jr. C), one goal and two assists; William Michaud (Community: Nipissing, French River Rapids Jr. A) one goal and one assist;, while defenseman Jace Pitawanakwat (Community: Lac Seul, club team: North York Rangers AAA) and Shadow Rueben (Community: Fort Albany, club team: Iroquois Falls Eskis Jr. A) also scored. Keon Fox (Community: Bearskin Lake, club team: Thunder Bay Kings AAA) contributed two assists and Preston Whitehead Bobyk (Community: Webequie, club team: Grey Highland Hawks, Jr. A) one assist. Seth McKay (Community: Fort Francis, club team: Thunder Bay AAA Kings) was virtually impenetrable as the lone goalie for the entire game.
This composite team is filled with players who have had to move to a new community in order to reach their goals.
“I worked with my dad,” commented Alex Paul, who plays right-wing and centre. “We built docks in summer and in winter we cleared the ice. We live on Lake Temagami so I learned to skate that way. We don’t have an arena on Bear Island. It’s quite isolated.”
In the wintertime, friends who had cottages on the lake came up to play the game, says Paul.
“I wanted to be as good as they were so my parents made that happen,” recalled Paul.
This was no easy quest. Paul obviously has the talent, but the road to the national championships three time zones away, starts with a boat ride off the island, a drive down an old mining and logging road and then an hour drive to North Bay. His team, the French River Rapids, are located in Noelville, half-way between North Bay and Sudbury.
Paul will return to grade 12 next year to increase his marks so post-secondary opportunities will be an option.
“It’s beautiful here,” he says of Vancouver Island where trees are blossoming while mountain tops still have plenty of snow. “School here could be an option too, but for now, I’m thinking about Cambrian—it’s close to home in Sudbury.”
Teammate Whitehead-Bobyk, who was raised Thunder Bay, also says there’s more to this tournament than just hockey.
“Yeah, it’s beautiful here,” expressed Whitehead-Bobyk about Vancouver Island. “I like it a lot.”
Just before the players emerged for interviews, the women’s teams from Saskatchewan and B.C. returned from their outdoor warm-up—in shorts and t-shirts. Both agree, the road they’re on now requires time and patience.
General Manager for the team, Wesley Marsden of Alderville, is cautiously happy about results from the first games.
“We’re playing fast, but if it looks like they kind of let up a bit, well, sometimes they’re a bit tentative and let a few things go,” noted Marsden. “When they’re playing pedal down hockey, they’re tough to match.”
Marsden is not just the General Manager of the hockey team, but works full-time with Ontario Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Circle.
“I’m really fortunate to be hired on with the ASWC Ontario,” stated Marsden. “Hockey has always been a passion of mine. So it’s really great to be here.”
Marsden will also be on deck with the roster at the North American Indigenous Games in Toronto July 2017.