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The Niverville Clippers capped off an incredible season by hoisting the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League championship trophy for the first time in 31 years.
"It's crazy," said Head Coach Tyler Anderson, the day after the team won it all. "I'm sitting here having my coffee and I can't believe we did it. It's an unbelievable feeling."
Facing adversity throughout the season, Anderson knew this group could not only handle it but thrive through it. "This is a no-quit group for me," he says proudly. "Every time we took a loss, they came back even stronger. This group is so amazingly resilient."
After a game five loss on the road, Anderson challenged his team to step up and right from when they got to the rink, Anderson felt something was different. "When game five as over, I came home and I remember telling my wife that our guys might be out of gas. The Mcdonald series wore us out, Springfield was wearing us out. Prior to game six, there was a new energy. Right from warmup, they were ready to go. They started the game strong and they were flying throughout."
Having the game at the CRRC, being able to win it there, that was a memory for Anderson that he'll cherish forever. "It's such a great place," he says fondly. "I've said it for years, its a bigger rink so it plays into our favour. It was almost a packed barn which is quite exciting for us and I can't think of a better place for us to win."
After scoring first, the coach says he didn't really take a breath until Deegan McGarry scored to make it 4-0 on a penalty shot. "For me, it was a matter of, when you're in a close game, you're looking for an extra goal. When he scored that one, it almost took all the pressure off, then it was just a matter of making sure everyone was focused and ready to play like they can right to the end."
Goalie Jesse Morris made 26 saves for a shutout and Anderson says that success couldn't come to a better person. "He's just an unbelievable kid. We practiced on Monday and he said to one of our assistants, 'I'm not going to let in a goal on Wednesday'. He's a phenomenal kid and we couldn't have done it without him."
As a growing program, the Clippers winning the league championship is only going to solidify them as a top option for players. "It makes it so guys wanna be here," Anderson explains. "Whether it's the U18 kids graduating out of local programs or guys just wanting to play, our program is noticed and guys want to play here."
Some well deserved rest is coming Anderson's way. "I'm gonna take some time to think not about hockey. I'm going to catch up on some sleep. Our manager was already talking about next year and I said to calm down, let's soak this in. It's big for our town and our community. The future of hockey in Niverville is bright, it's truly a special place to play."