Sport returned in full force in 2022

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This article was published 27/12/2022 (727 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

March: Garden City’s JV girls win provincial basketball tournament

The Gophers beat the Vincent Massey Trojans 60-44 in the finals on March 15 at Fort Richmond Collegiate to be crowned provincial champions.

“It (the win) was kind of expected,” said Leighlynn Greaves, a forward for the Gophers. “I believe in my team, and I thought that if we put in the work, we’d be able to get it.”

Taya Clark, the Gophers’ team captain, was the most valuable player of the championship tournament, while teammates Madison Schettler and Alyssa De Leon were named all-stars.

The Gophers’ ferocity and skill were evident during tournaments earlier in the season. The Miles Macdonell Buckeyes Junior Varsity Girls Classic, which ran from Feb. 11 to 12, was a slam dunk for the Gophers, as they vanquished the Trojans, just as they would later do in the provincials.

August: Women’s volleyball team takes home gold at Games

In August, Manitoba women’s volleyball team bumped, set, and spiked their way to a gold medal at the Niagara 2022 Canada Games.

“The journey, like any journey, had moments of awesomeness, moments of frustration, and just overall was probably summed up by a lot of growth,” said team coach Alix Krahn.

That made it a double-gold summer for the Manitoban team, which also won the Canada Cup volleyball tournament in July.

“Our team had a really good connection. A lot of us have actually played together for clubs throughout the years,” said 18-year-old Oak Park High School alumna Andi Almonte, who entered into her sophomore season for the Manitoba Bisons university team later in the year.

October: Teen hockey official rises through the ranks

Westwood resident and 19-year-old Josh Miko was hired as a hockey official by both the Western Hockey League (WHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL), leagues which foster some of hockey’s top superstars.

“It’s an honour, actually,” Miko said. “It’s definitely a moment I’ll remember, seeing those emails pop up and being recognized as someone that can handle that level and be trusted.”

Miko began refereeing at age 13 in St. James-Assiniboia, beginning like other young officials by calling “house league,” or beginner-level, games. From there, he kept at it, working up to higher and higher levels.

Highlights of Miko’s young career include the 2022 Young Stars Classic hosted by the Vancouver Canucks, which featured NHL prospects such as Cole Perfetti, who has blossomed into a top-line NHL forward with a shot at becoming the NHL’s rookie of the year.

“…I had this moment where Cole Perfetti was behind the net, and I thought, ‘Holy crap, how about that?’” Miko said.

May: Jr. Canucks cap record-breaking year with MMJHL championship win

The St. James Jr. Canucks became the 2021-22 Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League champions after knocking off the defending champs, Pembina Valley Twisters, four games to one in the best-of-seven final series. The win capped off a banner season, during which the team shattered the franchise record for best regular season, putting together a formidable 37-4-4 record.

Firepower bolstered the Jr. Canucks all season, but was by no means their only strength. While scoring a league-best 5.24 goals per game in the regular season, they finished number two in goals against, at 2.82 allowed per game. Goaltender Noah Gilbert finished the playoffs with a playoff-best 2.06 goals against average, topped off with a 24-save shutout in the deciding game.

When the 2022-23 season kicked off, the Jr. Canucks didn’t buckle under the pressure of repeating their success, carrying a 21-2-1 record and a chance to best their regular season franchise record for the second consecutive year.