Dyck busy making trades in advance of MJHL season

It will be a season of massive roster turnover for the Steinbach Pistons, as the Manitoba Junior Hockey League season fast approaches.

Head coach and general manager Paul Dyck guessed there could be as many as 17 new faces in the team’s starting line-up, as players move around junior in the aftermath of the NCAA’s decision to allow major junior players to play American college hockey.

“The fall is going to present itself with players looking for homes, it could be unprecedented,” Dyck said.

“I don’t know what it’s going to look like, but I see a lot of players that are looking at some opportunities that may or may not be there for them.”

15-year-old Wildcats, Sultans teams win provincial gold

The 15-and-under age group playing ball in the southeast is shaping up to be a special one, as the Carillon Sultans 15U AAA baseball team and Eastman Wildcats U15 AAA teams both won their respective provincial championships this week.

The Wildcats had their championship rained out after a downpour July 26 and had to play the final in hostile territory in Winkler against the Central Energy.

The team is an impressive 50-2 this season heading into nationals, which will also be hosted in Winkler. Those kick off Aug. 13.

Eastman were on track to pick up their third loss of the season, trailing 6-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning of the final, but a eight-run explosion in the bottom half was more than enough to claim the gold. Avi Tindall was named the provincials most valuable player.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1999: Martens bitter over loss of Pan Am medal

Rosenort’s Mike Martens is incensed over a teammate’s failed drug test which cost his Pan Am Games team the gold medal in roller hockey.

Martens was assistant captain of the Canadian roller hockey team that won a gold medal in an emotional 7-6 triumph over the United States in the championship final. The joy of victory was short-lived, however, when Canadian team goaltender Steve Vezina tested positive for drugs and the team was stripped of its gold medal.

Here are the events as they unfolded, told to The Carillon by Martens, who was a former star with the Steinbach Hawks of the MJHL and the University of Manitoba Bisons.

In unfettered jubilation, the 10 Canadian players celebrated with the capacity crowd at the Max Bell Centre, when the final buzzer went off, signalling Canada’s gold medal win. It was when Martens and Canadian netminder Steve Vezina were skating around the rink with a Canadian flag that they were fingered to take random drug testing, which is done at all events.

Warriors women’s rugby team takes to the pitch for the first time

A goal 10 years in the making finally came true Aug. 2, as the Eastman Warriors fielded a women’s rugby team in the annual Rugbymania sevens tournament hosted at the Maple Grove Rugby Park.

Establishing a women’s squad has long been a goal for the program, with members of the team, including Celine Sonnenberg, practicing with the men’s team for the past decade.

“It was awesome, it was awesome to see more women play,” Sonnenberg said, adding when starting training, she didn’t expect it to take ten years to get on the field.

“It’s finally here… I hope to see more women show up.”

Carillon’s Dayton Christensen, Brady Papineau named to MJBL all-star team

If there were a play to sum up why Brady Papineau is the Manitoba Junior Baseball League’s two-time defensive player of the year, it came in game three of the finals.

With the Carillon Sultans down a run in game four, a light grounder came rolling up to Papineau at centre field. It looked like a runner charging from second base to home was going to be safe by yards, but he was met at the plate by a monster throw from Brady Papineau.

“If I was that coach, I would have sent him too,” Sultans coach Rick Penner said.

“If I’m the opposition, I’m thinking anything that goes to (Papineau), I’m not trying to take any extra bases on it.”

Sultans heading to 22U nationals with high expectations

The Carillon Sultans Manitoba Junior Baseball League season may be over, but there is still work to be done, as the team sets off to the 22U National Championships, which begin Aug. 7 in Halifax.

The Sultans earned the right to represent Manitoba by winning last year’s league championship, and will represent the province once again next season after winning back-to-back titles.

The Sultans roster won’t be alone, as the team has nabbed six pick-up players to help them out.

It was no surprise to see Colson Smith and Logan Enns, the players with the most innings pitched on league finalists Elmwood join the Sultans. The duo combined to throw more than 110 regular season innings for Elmwood this year, with ERAs of 2.2 and 3.8 respectively. Smith plays for South Suburban college while Enns, who is from Oakbank, suits up for Lake Region State College alongside several Carillon players.

Carillon Sports Second Shots – July 31st edition

Featuring photos from a pair of MMSL games in Steinbach and Niverville July 22/23, CF Valencia's development camp at the Steinbach Soccer Park, games 1-3 in the Manitoba Junior Baseball League final between Carillon and Elmwood and a U13 AAA game in Ile des Chenes July 27.

Team Manitoba ready to compete at Canada Summer Games

The start of the 2025 Canada Summer Games are right around the corner, as Team Manitoba officially kicked off their campaign by announcing their flagbearer and showing off their uniforms July 29 at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.

The games will feature over two dozen athletes from the region, including eight players on Team Manitoba’s softball team.

Canoe kayaker Luke Enns was named Manitoba’s opening ceremonies flagbearer. The 19-year-old from Winnipeg will be participating in his third Canada Games after an appearance in the 2022 summer games and the 2023 winter games for biathlon.

“I wasn’t expecting this, but it’s pretty cool to represent Team Manitoba in this way,” Enns said in a Sport Manitoba news release.

CF Valencia returns to Steinbach

One of the most historic clubs in Spanish football returned to Steinbach to host a development camp for the second consecutive year.

CF Valencia was at the Steinbach Soccer Park, providing elite-level coaching for youth players from across the province last week.

The camp was led by Miguel Monge Mateus, who coaches for Valencia’s academy in Spain. The club is investing more and more in Canada, hosting summer camps in Moncton and Steinbach, alongside establishing a permanent campus in Montreal.

“I’m loving it,” Monge Mateus said.

SPORTS FLASHBACK 1992: Child Amps ambassador works to master links

Far from being at a disadvantage, War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) David Morin of Monominto appears to have a leg up on the competition. Undaunted by a lawn mower accident, which cost him part of his right leg seven years ago, the 10-year-old makes up in determination and enthusiasm for anything he may lack in physical prowess.

He will be moving on to grade five at Ste Anne School this fall, and like many other youngsters, enjoys sports more than the classroom. But when pressed, David admits he is “pretty good at maths.”

Morin says he’s also pretty good at soccer and enjoys hitting a baseball more than fielding one. Now with the help of the Manitoba Professional Golfers Association, which has set him up with custom-made clubs and a tutor to teach him how to use them, Morin has taken up golf.

This summer, when he is not stacking wood for his grandmother at Ross or cleaning his room, drying dishes or taking out the garbage as his share of household duties at home, David plans to spend a lot of his time golfing.

AS I SEE IT COLUMN: My sporting memories of Jake Epp

There are thousands of people in Steinbach, across Canada and around the world that have warm memories of the late Jake Epp, who recently passed away.

I have some sporting memories of Jake.

When I was a young kid my dad shared Bomber season tickets with Jake when he was a high school teacher, along with two other guys. Every once in a while, when a ticket was available, I got to go to a game. This was in the Don Jonas, Mini Mack Heron glory days of the Bombers. I don’t remember any specific games, but I do remember the car rides to and from the games, and how nice Jake was to include me in the conversation.

In 1992 when our A&W Pacers Fastball team won the junior fastball provincials and went to the nationals in Hull, Quebec, Jake gave up an afternoon in his incredibly busy and important schedule to give our team a personal tour of the Parliament buildings. Always exceedingly kind, I remember being struck how cool it was and how much pride I felt that a high school teacher from Steinbach was in parliament and a major player in the governance of Canada.

Provincial baseball tournaments in full swing

It was another jam-packed weekend for young baseball players across Manitoba, as the provincial championship season rolls on.

In the 18U AAA provincials the Carillon Sultans battled to a fourth place finish in tier 1, with Winnipeg South and South Central making the finals, which had to be played a day later due to rain. Winnipeg South came out on top, claiming the provincial championship and a spot at nationals.

The re-schedule had an impact on the Winnipeg Senior Baseball League finals, as game one of that series was scheduled to go in Charleswood July 28, which was cancelled to make room for the 18U finals.

The Sultans will actually get a chance to host a game in the finals, as if a game four is needed, it will be in Steinbach Aug. 4. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

Eastman Warriors preparing for decisive homestand

After an uncharacteristic start to the season, the Eastman Warriors have battled back to their winning ways in advance of a three-game August homestand.

The team defeated the then-undefeated Winnipeg Assassins squad in a 48-45 barn-burner July 16, setting the team back on track in the Premier division.

The Warriors are the league’s two-time defending champions, going undefeated the last two seasons, but stumbled out of the gate, dropping their first three games of the season.

With star back and reigning senior player of the year Jale Kaukirewa playing in B.C. this year, the Warriors have transitioned from a high-flying back/winger driven attack, to a more balanced approach, with the team’s forwards playing a much bigger role compared to previous years.

Wildcats strike gold in postponed provincials

One week after they were supposed to be finished, the Eastman Wildcats came out on top at the U17 and U19 provincial softball championships in Stonewall.

The Wildcats U17 team defeated the Winnipeg Lightning 4-1 in the final July 26, led by a 10 strikeout complete game from starting pitcher Kelsey Warkentine. Warkentine didn’t walk a batter in the final, giving up one run on seven hits.

Both the U17 and U19 provincial championships had to be halted due to poor air quality last week.

Eastman advanced to the final by defeating the Lightning 3-2 in a page playoff game after finishing the round robin with a perfect record. Warkentine got the start in both the final and the page playoff, dominating both en route to being named the tournament’s most valuable player.