Morris Mavericks off to hot start in Zone 4 hockey

The Morris Mavericks are looking good in their quest to return to the top of the Zone 4 hockey mountain.

The Mavericks started the season a perfect 7-0, outscoring their opposition 32-14.

Wyatt Sabourin is now the head coach of the program. Morris claimed the provincial AA championship banner in 2025 and fell in the Zone 4 final and provincial finals last season.

“We’re a smaller group in numbers, but we I think make up for it in speed,” Sabourin said after a 8-2 win over the Pembina Tigers Oct. 28.

Providence Pilots tip off MCAC basketball season

The Providence Pilots basketball teams are off to a winning start in the new-look Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference.

With the return of Red River College to the league, Providence, Canadian Mennonite University and St Boniface College have left the Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to focus solely on provincial play this season.

The league is expected to send their champion to the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national championships next season.

The Pilots men’s team split a pair of games with the St Boniface Les Rouges, with both teams winning their respective home openers. Providence is playing their basketball games back on campus this season after a few years at the Niverville Resource and Rec Centre.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Nov. 5th edition

Featuring an SRSS junior varsity playoff game Oct. 28 an Eastman Selects male U18 AAA game Oct. 30, the St Malo Warriors home opener later that night and the Providence Pilots victory in the MCAC women's soccer MCAC championship.

Varsity Sabres fall in WHSFL playoffs

The Steinbach Regional Sabres varsity football team just couldn’t pull off the upset in the Winnipeg High School Football League playoffs.

The Sabres matched up against the top seed from the Potter Division, the Vincent Massey Trojans in the league quarterfinals, falling 34-22. Steinbach fell behind early 21-0 but battled back to cut the lead down to just six points, before a late Trojans touchdown put the game out of reach.

“Ultimately, we made too many mistakes to take down one of the top teams in the province,” program coordinator Jamie Peters said.

“Turnovers and costly penalties made an already difficult challenge even tougher. Against quality opposition, those mistakes are often the difference. “

Niverville Nighthawks recognized by MJHL

The Niverville Nighthawks became mainstays in this week’s Mantioba Junior Hockey League Awards.

Owen Murray, who was with team MJHL at the Western All-Star Showcase this week, was named the league’s Chevrolet rookie of the month, while Marlen Edwards and Ben Chornomydz were recognized as two of the league’s three stars of the week.

Murray, a 2010-born forward from Winnipeg, has 13 points in 14 games this season, as the 16-year-old puts together a memorable start to his junior career.

Last year with the Winnipeg Bruins U18 AAA team he had 73 points in just 33 games.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1988: Thanks for the help, Bombers

Years down the road, I’ll be able to tell people that I played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers when they won their first game in 1988.

Of course, I won’t mention it was slow-pitch softball we were playing, or that the Bombers let me bat once, so we wouldn’t beat the other team too badly.

Never bother them with too much detail, I say. When there’s too much detail, people lose interest and quit listening. Just the facts, that’s what I always say.

The fact is, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers deserve a vote of thanks for their performance on the softball field.

Blatz part of Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2026

Add another hall of fame to David Blatz’s legendary career.

Already a part of the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Carillon Sultans 1996-2003/Stonewall Blue Jays 2003-2008 and a part of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for his work with the 2011 Pan-Am Games Team Canada baseball team, the Steinbach-based athletic therapist will be inducted as an individual to the provincial hall of fame.

Blatz was a trainer with the Canadian Pan-Am team five times and the World Baseball Classic four times. He is currently the head athletic therapist for Team Canada baseball.

Joining Blatz as part of the class of 2026 are;

Warriors return to St Malo after year away

There may not have been any concessions, the bleachers were not installed and there is still work to be done inside the locker rooms, but the Capital Region Junior Hockey League’s St Malo Warriors are officially back in their home rink.

The Warriors spent all of last season away from St Malo as renovations were completed at the arena. The rink features a brand new concourse and spectator area.

The Warriors opened their new digs in style, defeating the Altona Maroons 7-1. Tyson Preteau’s backhand from in tight just 1:50 seconds into the game went down as the first goal inside the new arena.

It’s not just a season of transition in terms of infrastructure for the Warriors as long-time head coach Ralph Collette is finally taking a step back, opening the door for long-time assistant Patrick Trudeau to serve as the team’s new bench boss. Collette is staying on as general manger.

Providence striker takes back-to-back player of the year honours

Serena Negrich just has a knack for scoring goals.

The Providence Pilots striker from Burnaby, B.C., racked up 17 goals this season across 12 games, nabbing the scoring title and conference player of the year honours as well.

This is the second consecutive year Negrich was named the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference top women’s player.

“Serena is an elite competitor whose quality on the ball, 1v1 ability, and attacking instincts make her a special player. Leading the league in both goals and points is a testament to her ability to impact games, but what truly sets her apart is her fierceness, competitiveness, consistency and competitive desire to grow and be great,” Pilots coach Tory Walker said in an MCAC news release.

Providence Pilots return to MCAC soccer mountaintop

It was clear the Providence Pilots had been waiting a long time to hoist a Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference women’s soccer championship.

After three consecutive years of heartbreak in the finals, the Pilots finally captured their first championship in more than a decade, defeating St Boniface 3-0 in the finals, hosted on an unusually warm Nov. 1 in Otterburne, prompting emotional celebrations from the entire team.

The Pilots last won a Manitoba championship in 2013. For head coach Tory Walker, who joined the school in 2015, it’s the first time he’s gotten to hoist the MCAC trophy.

“It’s a surreal feeling,” Walker said after the win and a post-game water shower from his players.

Carillon Sports Second Shots: Oct. 29th edition

Featuring an SRSS junior varsity football game, Zone 13 volleyball in Ste Anne and a U18 AAA game in Steinbach Oct. 21, a Springfield Sabres football game Oct. 22 and Providence Pilots volleyball matches Oct. 24.

Regional U18 AAA championship coming to Steinbach

The second step on the path to the Telus Cup will be in Steinbach next season.

Hockey Manitoba announced the Southeast Event Centre will host the 2026 West Regional Championship, as the top male U18 AAA teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Northwestern Ontario will come to town for a chance to advance to the national level. Hosting rights means that Eastman will get an automatic bid as hosts of the tournament.

“Hosting the TELUS Cup West Regional Championship in Steinbach is a tremendous opportunity for hockey across the Eastman Region,” Eastman Region Minor Council Representative Dan Gilbertson said in a news release.

“Our communities have a strong tradition of supporting minor hockey, and we’re excited to welcome teams and families from across the West while giving our own players, volunteers and fans the opportunity to experience a championship of this level close to home.”

Providence volleyball celebrates return to campus

The Providence Pilots were welcomed back to campus with a bang. The school’s volleyball teams, which have spent the past five seasons playing out of the Niverville Resource and Rec Centre, opened their 2026/2027 campaigns in Otterburne on the campus of Providence University College.

The gym was packed Oct. 23rd for the school’s home openers, with another solid crowd the next afternoon.

“The atmosphere in the barn is going to be great and thanks to Pilots nation for coming out and supporting us,” men’s head coach Paul Armbruster said after a match Oct. 24, noting the turnout over the weekend was “awesome.”

Unfortunately for those fans they didn’t get to see much winning, as the Pilots could only find victory in one of the four games played over the weekend. The women’s team only managed a single set, dropping a 3-0 match to Canadian Mennonite University and a 3-1 decision to Assiniboine College, falling to 1-3 on the season.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 2002: Bombers defensive back offers advice to local fathers

“I do like to hit people on the field, not hurt them,” Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive back Harold Nash, Jr. told a collection of fathers in a humorous moment Wednesday evening at Anna’s House in Steinbach.

The nine-year CFL veteran, including four years with the Bombers, has been a key reason that the Bombers have the best defensive unit in the league this season. At only 5’8”, 185 lbs., the 32-year-old native of New Orleans used his blazing speed and experience to shut down opposing receivers.

But his message to fathers Monday night in Steinbach was not just about football, but also about life and how to live it. A deeply religious athlete, Nash talked about his relationship with God, his wife, two-year-old son, his teammates and Coach Dave Ritchie.

Nash said his platform as a Christian athlete allows him to reach more people.