MANITOBA
MAJOR JUNIOR
HOCKEY LEAGUE
HOCKEY
MANITOBA’S
2017 PROVINCIAL
CHAMPIONS
In the semi-finals, the Hawks
edged the top seeds, the Yellow-
head Chiefs, 3-2 and in the cham-
pionship game, came back and
beat Eastman by the same score.
“It feels pretty good to win, but
it’s also kind of a relief after all
that hard work,” said Carels, a
defenseman who had four goals
and 25 points in 36 games this
season. “We played Eastman in
the first game at the Provincials
and tied them 4-4 so I knew we
had a good chance. This was a
team that had a lot of heart. We
might not have had as much skill
as some of the other teams but
we worked hard.”
A Grade 9 student at Prairie Mountain School in Somerset, Carels
grew up in a hockey-playing farm family from Bruxelles, Man. His
sister, Cassidy, was the senior captain at Providence University in
Hockey East this past season and finished her NCAA Division 1 ca-
reer with 48 goals and 108 points in 141 games.
“He started playing at five like all his brothers,” said his mom, Mar-
cie. “He started out as a forward but his dad Tony saw his natural
defensive qualities and move him to the blue line.”
He played his minor hockey in Holland with the Holland Rockets
and then tried out for Pembina Valley Triple A in 2016.
“We live in a community of
farm families and we all car-
pool. We are out at hockey
most nights with one of the
kids. Tony himself has coached
all of his kids throughout the
years. With small sacrifices
it works. It’s a real Canadian
story.”
The Carels farm a section
and a quarter near Bruxelles
with grain and 45 dairy cows.
Jacob’s older brother Elijah,
is an MMAAAHL Second Team
All-Star with the Hawks’ Triple
A Midgets and this past sea-
son, he had 40 goals (plus
three more in the playoffs) and 64 points in 44 games for Pembina
Valley. He won a Manitoba Midget Triple A championship in 2014-15.
This year, 14-year-old Jacob has drawn some interest from West-
ern Hockey League clubs. A solid player, the family knows a career
in professional hockey is not an easy undertaking.
“We’ve been getting letters for him,” said Marcie. “But we want our
kids to be realistic in their dreams. Sometimes that next level just
never happens. There are a lot of good hockey players out there. We
want all our kids to enjoy the game.”
The Carels kids certainly enjoyed the 2016-17 season. Who knows
what awaits? n
Prairie Thunder Win Manitoba Senior
Triple A Crown Again
PRAIRIE THUNDER GOALTENDER
STEVE CHRISTIE
The South East Prairie Thunder defeated the Ile des
Chenes Northstars to win yet another Hockey Manitoba
Senior Triple A championship back in March.
But it was what they did after winning the Manitoba
crown is what was most impressive for this team that was
once known as the Grunthal Red Wings.
Goaltender Steve Christie made 49 saves and Matt Gin-
gera scored twice as the Prairie Thunder defeated the
Rosetown Red Wings 2-0 at Max Bell Arena in Winnipeg
to capture their fifth straight Rathgaber Cup by sweeping
the best-of-five Manitoba/Saskatchewan Senior Triple A
series in three straight games.
Dane Crowley, the former U of M star, scored a pair of
goals as the Prairie Thunder won the series opener 4-3. In
Game 2, South East beat Rosetown 3-1 as Travis Bobbee,
Tim Plett and Michael St. Croix scored from South East.
With that, the Prairie Thunder qualified for the Allan
Cup in Bouctouche, N.B., the National Senior Champion-
ship that they’d won in 2012 and 2015 and reached the
final of last year. It was the fourth straight year in which
they’d qualified for the Allan Cup.
However, this year, the Prairie Thunder lost 8-4 to the
Lacombe Generals in the semi-final as Matt Lowry led
Manitoba with two goals while Shane Luke and Reid Gow
each had a goal and an assist.
@smith4southd
38 GAME ON
2017 CHAMPIONS EDITION