RHA Nationals’ Nakodan Greyeyes back for his third NAHC tournament was better than winning gold.”
The men’ s team needed a little championship game heroism in a thriller against Team Ontario. Our guys scored the winning goal at 13:25 of overtime as Justin Nachbaur, a Cross Lake Band member and now a star with the WHL’ s Prince Albert Raiders, notched the winner. Allan Kohli, another Cross Lake band member stopped 31 shots to seal the 6-5 OT win.
It was the third time Manitoba’ s women won gold in the championships( 2009, 2010) and it was the second time for the men’ s team( 2002). Of course, it was the first time in the 17-year history of the event that both Manitoba teams were crowned champions in the same year.
The NAHC provides a forum for elite Aboriginal hockey players throughout Canada. Each region is represented by two teams, one male and one female, which are both comprised of Bantam and Midget aged athletes from across their region. The event aids in fostering cultural unity and pride and celebrates the athletic
abilities of Aboriginal athletes from across the country.
And that’ s a big reason why a player like Albert loves this event so much. In fact, she loves the NAHC so much that this year, at age 17, she will become only the third Manitoba player to take part in five NAHC tournaments.
Assistant coach Tina Keeper will take part in her eighth championship – just two as a player and now six as a coach( 2005, 2007, 2013- 2018). Darion Bruyere from Sagkeeng, who went on to play at Minnesota State-Mankato, played in six championships as a player from 2006-2011. Lynette Kryminski played in five championships as a player and one as a coach( 2010-14 as a player and 2015 as a coach). Julie Desrochers competed in five Championships as a player( 2010-2014). And now Julie Albert, from Norway House via the Boston Shamrocks, will play in her fifth( 2014-18), all as a player.
Team Manitoba’ s Adam Swan with the Winnipeg
Blues of the MJHL
“ That’ s very few,” said a surprised Mel Whitesell, the executive director of the MASRC, whose office does a wonderful job organizing the travel and preparing the teams for the competition.“ Especially when you consider all the years we’ ve been competing and all the players we’ ve seen.”
For Albert, who will likely play U SPORTS hockey somewhere in Canada next fall and, one day, would like to become a pharmacist, playing for the JWHL’ s Boston Shamrocks is a thrill, but playing for Team Manitoba is a special treat and a great way to finish the hockey season.
“ I didn’ t start playing hockey until I was nine and played my minor hockey in Norway House and then, in Winnipeg when my mom moved to the city to go to school,” she said.“ I went back home and played with the Norman Wild until I went to Notre Dame in( Wilcox) Saskatchewan in Grade 11 and now I’ m here in Boston for Grade 12. Hopefully, I’ ll play Canadian university hockey next year. That’ s the plan.
“ In the meantime, I really can’ t wait to play the NAHC again. We finally won a championship. It will be fun to go back and defend.”
This year’ s teams have some outstanding players on the roster. The women’ s team have a number of returnees, including Albert and her teammates on the Shamrocks, Keyanna and Keyara Lea, Carrigan Umpherville, Saige McKay, Trechelle Bun and goalie Shayna Moore. As well, goalie Bianca Zak and defenseman Kennesha Miswaggon from Balmoral Hall are also on the team again. The women will once again be favored to win it all.
On the men’ s team Nakodan Greyeyes, Preston Seymour, Kurtis Luke, Shane Bear and Bryden Sinclair will return while goalie Adam Swan of the MJHL’ s Winnipeg Blues will make the men a contender to defend their crown.
Teams from across the country will compete at the event from May 6-12, 2018, at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre. ❍
76 | GAME ON | DECEMBER 2017