U18 AAA Selects settling into second season at SEC

The male U18 AAA Eastman Selects have started their season strong. With just six games played so far, the team boasts a 5-1 record, splitting a pair of entertaining contests with the Winnipeg Bruins last weekend.

The Selects fell behind 4-1 at the Southeast Event Centre Oct. 14, before storming back with five unanswered to win 6-4. After picking up a convincing 7-2 win over current league leaders Pembina Valley Oct. 16, it was Eastman’s turn to allow a comeback win, with the Bruins erasing a 5-2 second period lead to win 6-5.

Head coach Mark Woloshyn was happy to see the comeback, but a little surprised to see his team give up four goals in 20 minutes of game action.

“If we want to be a top-end team, we can’t be taking 10 minutes off,” head coach Mark Woloshyn said after the win in Steinbach.

“In the third, we gave the guys a challenge, and I thought they responded well. I was really happy with their re-group. It shows we’re not out of any fight.”

A late second-period tally from St Adolphe’s Nico Ziegler sparked the third period comeback.

Through six games, the Selects have been averaging nine goals a game, helped by a pair of 13-1 wins to start the season.

“That’s how we’re going to win,” Woloshyn said.

“If we’re going to score a minimum of six goals a game, we’re going to win every night.”

It was a quiet start to the season on the schedule for Eastman, but the games are starting to pick up now. Woloshyn said the team has taken advantage of the light schedule to “work out the kinks,” and practice their special teams.

“The guys had a lot of team-building, but now we’re in a bit of a push.” he said.

“I like the guys in the locker room, they pick each other up. We’re not negative Nancies so to speak. If one guy’s not going, we don’t get hard on him… They battle for each other.”

The Selects last finished in the top four of the league in the 2021/2022 season, and are hoping to return there this year and earn home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“We set the standard pretty high for them,” Woloshyn said.

“We want to get this program back in the semi-finals. That’s the ultimate goal. Obviously you want to win a championship, but that’s a long ways away. You need these early points in October, because they help in the long run.”

The program returned to Steinbach last season and are now in their second season at the Southeast Event Centre.

“We have a beautiful facility here and it’s always good to get local fans to come out and watch,” Woloshyn said.

“Hopefully we get more support and keep going from there.”

The Selects will next be in action in Steinbach Oct. 30 when they host Norman.