The Newmarket Renegades rep U15 A team wasted no time getting back into game-winning form as they emerged victorious at the King’s Playoff Challenge Tournament Feb. 6.
The team went undefeated across six games to take home the trophy for the weekend tournament championship in the Township of King, capping off with a 4-3 win over the Innisfil Winterhawks.
Winning just one week after a long hiatus from the rink, winger Ethan Kild said it felt great to be back on the ice.
“It was a hard-fought win,” he said. “We were kind of predicting going in that we were going to verse the team that we did, and we came out on top, so it meant a lot.”
The tournament saw the team play against seven others throughout its area, separate from the regular season. The team had three wins and a tie in the round-robin, before a 3-2 win over Guelph in the semi-final, and then a final win over Innisfil.
Assistant coach Richard Berman said it was a good reintroduction for the team.
“Like a nice, fresh restart. Kids were energized, excited to play. They got better every game,” Berman said. “Just good cohesion. Everyone understood they had a role to do and a job to do, and they worked hard.”
Hockey tournaments have been stalled by shutdowns, but some have started running again after the Jan. 31 reopening. The rep U13 A team was a runner-up in the North York Knights Winter Challenge Feb. 6, losing 5-3 in the final.
Berman said the tournament was a valuable experience for the team.
“It was just fantastic to have this as a kickoff to our second season,” he said. “It was really nice to get everyone together and get everyone going on the same page and experiencing success.”
“We all worked together,” defenceman Henry Kotyk said. “Kind of tough at the start, but we were together and ended up getting a good result.”
The team is back on the ice practising for the rest of its season and playoffs ahead. It has amassed a 10-3-2 regular season record so far.
“We’re going to just keep getting together and keep moving forward,” Kild said.
