8
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
Ice Hawks: Havre High school hockey team's 2015-16 season is well underway this winter â– From Page 3 from Lewistown, round out the Ice Hawk's roster. Havre is also under the direction of new head coach Brian Lenhardt, who takes over the program from Scott Gunderson. Tyler Boyce and John Huntington will also be assistant coaches this season. "I think that we are looking good," Lenhardt said. "We have a bit of a different dynamic because we have three kids from Lewistown on our team that have joined our Havre games and through the first few games, I have been very pleased. They have done very well." While the Ice Hawks struggled against both Butte and Missoula, those teams come from much bigger towns and that makes it difficult for Havre to compete against them. But, the Montana Amateur Hockey Association, now allows teams to be split into two divisions at the state tournament based on results throughout the regular season. "Sometimes it's hard to compete with those big towns because of their depth," Lenhardt said. "But our goal is still the game. We would like to play well enough to get into that top tournament. We play well
against everybody but the bigger teams are tougher, yet we also plays teams like Miles City, which is a lot more like our size." The Ice Hawks are still just six games into the season and have plenty of hockey to play and, accordingly, they will be back in action inside the Havre Ice Dome Jan. 8-9 to take on Billings. They will also compete in the state tournament March 10-13 in Miles City. Havre Daily News/File Photo Havre's Nick Stump skates with the puck during a Havre Ice Hawk's high school hockey game last winter at the Havre Ice Dome. The Ice Hawks are six games into their 2015-16 season.
2
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
7
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
Havre has turned into a real hockey town Havre Ice Dome continues to grow From the Fringe...
George Ferguson Sports Editor
In these parts, winter comes early, winter comes often, and Old Man Winter likes to stick around. All that being the case, winter sports are a big, big deal. It’s no wonder that Havre is a hockey town. After all, it seems like it’s frozen around here for six months out of the year. But the progress to Havre being a budding hockey hotbed has been a long one because it wasn’t always that way. Yes, it’s true, kids have been playing hockey in Havre for a long time but, as far as organized hockey goes, Havre had to grow into the game. There was a time when hockey games could be seen in Havre as they were originally meant to be seen. Anyone remember the old 5th Avenue outdoor hockey rink? Under just a couple of street lights, and for just a few months out of
the year, hockey games were played outside, on frozen water, right in the middle of town. Then, the Havre Ice Hawks started to take off as a club sport, and they needed to go indoors. For a time, the Ice Hawks had their home base at locations at the Great Northern Fairgrounds, but, while they were skating up there, the Havre Ice Dome was taking shape, and when it was completed, hockey truly took off in this great, wintertime town. Fast forward to now, and hockey is really a big deal in Havre. It’s such a big deal that Havre Youth Hockey boasts a record number of teams, and a record number of youths, ranging from the age of 18, all the way down to ages 6 and under, playing the game. In other words, when you look at the amount of youths playing organized hockey in Havre, you have to marvel at the growth of the sport in this community. Add to that the Glacier Nationals, and an adult hockey league, and there’s no denying that hockey is now truly and forever one of Havre’s biggest and most popular sports. That is as it should be. After all,
Havre's rink has become a premier facility serving many functions Chris Peterson
Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com
not only is Havre a winter town, but it’s also just a stone’s throw away from the Canadian border, and we all know how they feel about their hockey in Canada. Yes, Havre has always been a town that centers around and is known for its winters. And yes, as long as there was frozen water, somewhere around this town, kids
have been playing hockey for many generations. Now, however, things are different. Now, Havre has a great hockey facility and a great hockey tradition. These days, Havre isn’t growing into hockey anymore. Now, Havre is one of Montana’s true hockey towns.
Havre Daily News/File Photo The Havre Ice Hawks high school hockey team, and the Havre Youth Hockey Association have become a popular sport in Havre and along the Hi-Line. There are Ice Hawks teams for all age groups now, with both boys and girls playing the sport.
Havre may be a small town in Montana, but it has some very unique things about it and one of those is the Havre Ice Dome. If you're around the people of Havre long, it doesn't take long to figure out that they are passionate about sports and one of the sports that they are most passionate about is hockey and, in particular, youth hockey. For decades, the Havre Youth Hockey Association has run the Havre Ice Hawks hockey program and, in general, it has been one of the most successful youth hockey outfits in the state of Montana. It has been a few years since the Ice Hawks high school team was winning state championships, but that doesn't change the fact that as a town, Havre is a bigsupporter of hockey and the Ice Dome is evidence of that. Like Legion Field or Blue Pony Stadium, it has a special place in the hearts of Havre sports fans and that's not just because it's a hockey rink. Sure, the Ice Hawks and Havre Youth Hockey call it home, as do the Glacier Nationals, a junior hockey team that competes in the Frontier Division of the North American Tier 3 Hockey League, but it also hosts plenty of events for the community as well. The arena, which holds more than 500 people, was a big draw for the Nationals, who decided to relocate to Havre following the 2013-14 season. Between this year and last year, Glacier will have played more than 50 home games inside the Ice Dome. And the presence of the junior hockey club has also led to a few more streams of revenue, as well as a few upgrades. One of the requirements for any team playing in the NA3HL, is
Havre Daily News/File Photo The Havre Ice Dome has not only become one of Havre's premier sports facilities, but it's also one of the top hockey rinks in Montana, for both players and fans. The Ice Dome also serves many functions outside of hockey season as well, while also ever-changing. that teams must have the ability to stream their games live over the Internet. That's because as a Tier 3 junior hockey league, it's a pay to play format. That means players pay the club to play and part of what is given in return is a chance for their friends and family to watch them remotely. Therefore, the Nationals had to set out to find a way to get Internet access at the Havre Ice Dome, something they achieved before the start of last season, and as a result,
have the ability to stream each and every Nationals game live. The arrival of the Nationals also coincided with the building of brand new locker rooms in the Ice Dome that have given it a more modernized look. Nationals general manager Butch Kowalka has long said that the Ice Dome was a big draw for his team. "The (Ice Dome) was a big thing for us," Kowalka said of moving the Nationals to Havre. "The community really supports hockey, but I was
surprised at how good the facility is. We are lucky to have it." In addition to having Nationals and Ice Hawk games in the building, it also is home to all the Havre Youth Hockey teams. There are nine such teams this season. Yet, the arena is used for much more than hockey games. Multiple nights per week, the rink is open to the public for skating. It also offers the chance to take figure and ice skating lessons, do some curling or even the chance to play a pick-
up hockey game if they so choose. It also hosts a number of youth hockey tournaments and provides camps, private lessons and clinics on hockey. In truth, the Ice Dome is a pillar of the sports community. It has not only offered hundreds or possibly thousands of kids, the chance to play and learn the game of hockey, it also has given the community a chance for some unique, on-ice experiences. And for that, the town of Havre and it's sports enthusiasts should be grateful.
6
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
3
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
Havre has hockey teams for all ages Ice Hawks looking sharp so far Below high school, Havre is fielding nine youth hockey teams this winter Chris Peterson
Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com When the weather gets to be near freezing temperatures, you know winter is here, and in Havre, wintertime means it's time for hockey. It's no secret that Havre is a big hockey town. Not only does the town support the Havre Ice Hawks Youth Hockey, it's also home to a junior hockey club named the Glacier Nationals. Yet, the Nationals are in just their second season up on the Hi-Line, so the real foundation of hockey in Havre lies with the Ice Hawks and Havre Youth Hockey. In addition to the Ice Hawks high school team, there are nine other youth hockey teams in Havre that are made up of either boys or girls or a mixed group. One team that is made up just of girls is the Havre Ice Hawks girls U14 team, which competes in the B division in the girls 14 and under classification. The team features 14 players and those are Olivia Albrecht, Marki Benjamin, Heather Herring, Clara Holland, Bradi Holland, Sophie Kirkpatrick, Mackenzie Kuhn, Jersi Morse, Rhoda Peterson, Kinzee Peterson, Talia Ralph, Jocelyn Staples, Makaylen Top Sky and Grace Ymzon. Havre Youth Hockey also has two teams representing it in the Mite division, which is for ages 8 and under. One mites team (Ice Hawks M1) features 17 players and they are Evan Baldwin, Sylas Belcourt, Oliver Benjamin, Gus Chase, Jerek Dees, Evan Karns, Unique Sky Not Afraid, Ronin Olsen, Dax Ostwalt, Koby Preputin, Ryan Ramberg, Rogan Sayers, Pieper Shulund, Gray Toldness and Xavier Ymzon. The other mites team (Ice Hawks M2) includes Micah Conner, Kayla Hobbs, Henry Miller, Aiden Moomey, Nathan Motichka and Maxim White.
Havre Daily News/File Photo Havre's Kaine Black skates during the Squirt's hockey state tournament back in 2014 at the Havre Ice Dome. Havre Youth Hockey has grown so much that the association fields multiple teams in multiple age divisions now, including girls, Bantams, Squirts, PeeWees, Termites and Mites. All of the Havre teams have already started their 2015-16 season and play their home games at the Havre Ice Dome. Just below the Mite division, is the termite division, which is for players 6 and under, and in that age group, the Ice Hawks again boast two teams. The first termite team (Ice Hawks T1) consists of Anthony Boyce, Will Chase, Wyatt Hanson, Alivia Hopper, Kaden Larson, Kody Lee, Ashlynn Matakis, Adaira McLean, Brooklynn Morse, Trent Naber, Chelsea Patera, Jace Ramberg, Coyal Redding, Kendan Sayers, Grayson Sayers, Steven Strike, Kaden Well, Carson Walter, Harper Wendland. The second termite team (Ice
Hawks T2) has 13 players on its roster and they are Jack Benjamin, Cutler Branden, Cale Clampitt, Brayden Cooper, Jostyn Dees, Daniel Fraser, Matthew Garcia, Brycen Henson, Brayden McLain, Sean Nagel, Preseley Perez, Gabriel Whiskeyjack and Isaac Ymzon. The Ice Hawks also boast a pair of Squirt Teams, both have 11 players. The first team has Ciaran Courtnage, Jacob Herring, Heather Herring, Clara Holland, Jersi Morse, Madison Motichka, Tanya Ralph, Trayden Riley, London Toldness, Makaylen Top Sky and Rhett
Wertheimer. The other team has Levi Benjamin, Austin Boyce, Paisley Branden, Michael Emge, David Emge, Dever Everingham, Decker Hanson, Frances Hanson, Grant Karns, Mackenzie Kuhn and Bryce Shettel. In the bantam division, the Ice Hawks have one team of 10 players and those are Dexter Beck, Donovan Cooper-McLain, Elliott Hanson, Riley Kilgore, Jace Lipp, Rhoda Peterson, Kinzee Peterson, Talia Ralph, Trent Shettel and Bridger Staples. Last but not least is the Ice Hawks
pee-wee team, which has 14 players, including Marki Benjamin, Kaine Black, Sophie Kirkpatrick, Trenton Maloughney, Tavish McLean, Connor Moomey, Theron Peterson, Stephen Preputin, Trennis Riley, Colt St. Marks, Jocelyn Staples, Colby Tilleman, Stephon Top Sky and Grace Ymzon. All the Ice Hawks youth hockey teams have begun play this season and will compete in their respective state tournaments around the state, including Havre in the first part of March.
Ivy Elliot Photography The Havre Ice Hawks high school hockey team poses for a team photo before the start of the 2015-16 season. The Ice Hawks began their season last month. The team team is made up this year of players from Havre, Chinook and Lewistown.
Chris Peterson
Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com Hockey season is in full swing in Havre and that means that the Havre Ice Hawks’ 2015-16 season is well underway. So far, the Ice Hawks high school hockey team has taken the ice a total of six times and thus far the Ice Hawks are sitting with a record of 1-4-1. Havre opened its season earlier this month on the road in Glasgow and earned a split, losing 6-3 in the first game, but
rebounding in the second game to defeat the Ice Dawgs by the score of 11-2. The nine-goal victory was also significant because of the five goals scored in the game by Clifford Lenhardt, who also added an assist. After splitting with Glasgow, the Ice Hawks played inside the Havre Ice Dome and their hometown fans for the first time Dec. 12 and 13. That weekend, the Ice Hawks hosted the Butte Copperkings and in the first game between the two teams, they fought their way to a 5-5 draw. Then in the second game,
Butte flexed its muscle and won easily 8-2. Havre got goals that weekend from Kade Friede, Lenhardt, Cole Hanson, Barrett Kilgore, Jeffrey Ralph, Kyle Kirkpatrick and Ethan Roberts. This past weekend, the Ice Hawks made the trip to Missoula and dropped back-to-back games by the scores of 13-0 and 10-1. Roberts was the only Havre player to score a goal during the two games. Havre goalie Nick Stump posted 54 saves in the loss Friday and 44 saves in the game Saturday. In all, Havre will play eight more
home games at the Ice Dome this season. The Ice Hawks will be at home Jan. 8-9 to take on Billings, as well as Jan. 23-24 to face off against Miles City. The month of February will see the Ice Hawks host Bozeman Feb. 6-7 and Helena Feb. 13. The rest of Havre's schedule includes games in Great Falls Jan. 16-17, games in Whitefish Feb. 2021 and games in Miles City Feb. 27-28. The Ice Hawk's season will wrap up with the Montana State B Hockey Tournament March 10-13, also in Miles City.
The Ice Hawks will have a different look to their roster this season, as they welcome in three players from Lewistown to help fill out the team. But Havre also has some outstanding returning players from last year's team, including Ralph, Stump, Hanson, Lenhardt, Kirkpatrick and Friede. Kilgore, Roberts, August Eacker and Alex Stilger are the other Havre players who make up the roster, while Bayron Merker, Noah Kirsch and Bryce Denton
â– See Ice Hawks Page 8
4
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
Havre
5
December 2015
1 2 3 5 7 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 22 23 25 27 30 33 77
Pahrebets, Mikhail Robertson, Ronald Kraft, Logan Mattfeldt, Wyatt Hale, Kevin Heims, Brendon Fretheim, Wyatt Huntington, Brandon Echelbarger, Brendan Tulk, Mitch McMahon, Tyler Friede, Kade McLain, Kelby Miller, Justin Jenson, Trevor VanTuinen, Tim Reuben, Jake Bostwick, William Schieman, Collin Kittleson, Kevin Hanson, Blake Smith, Raymond Perone, Ben LeBeau, Brett
HOCKEY
www.havredailynews.com
Nationals now in season two in Havre Glacier Nationals 2015-16 Active Roster Chris Peterson
Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com It's crazy how another year has flown by and it's hard to believe that the Glacier Nationals second season in Havre is more than halfway over. The Nationals, who belong to the Frontier Division of the North American Tier 3 Hockey League, have had a rough go of it at times in their second year in the NA3HL. The team has some talented players but also has struggled to build depth like other, more established junior hockey programs like the ones in Helena or Great Falls. The Nationals have played 27 games so far this season and they have amassed just six points. They are 2-23-2 thus far through their schedule and have gone 19 games without notching a win. Last season, the Nationals won 10 games and finished sixth out of seven teams. And while they still have a chance to climb out of the Frontier's cellar with Billings leading them by just three points in the standings, matching last season's win total will be a bigger challenge. However, at the end of the 201415 campaign, the Nationals had put together a competitive club that challenged and even notched wins over both Great Falls and Helena. And under the leadership of general manager and head coach Butch Kowalka, the Nationals will be looking to do the exact same thing down the stretch this season. Yet, one of the more difficult things in junior hockey is keeping the same players from year to year. A number of talented players have moved on from the Nationals including goalie Ryan Lund, who is playing at Buffalo State University, as well as Karson Frisk, who is playing at Slippery Rock, Tommy Kaddatz, who is playing at Robert Morris, Tyler Unekis, who is playing at Wagner College and Blake Evenou, who is playing for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL. And while advancing so many players to colleges or other junior hockey leagues is a good thing for the Nationals, it means they will have plenty of talent to replace as they get set for the 2015-16 cam-
Havre Daily News/File Photo Collin Schieman of the Glacier Nationals skates with the puck during a Frontier Division hockey game last month at the Havre Ice Dome. The Nationals have struggled out of the gate this season, but they still have the second half of the season to make a playoff push. paign. Fortunately for Kowalka, the Nationals do have some players returning from a season ago, including forwards Tyler McMahon, who
is the team's leading goal-scorer with 16 goals and 12 assists, Brendan Huntington (two goals, four assists) and defenseman Wyatt Fretheim (three goals, seven assists).
McMahon is far and away the team leader in total points with 28. He has also been one of the most consistent attackers in the Frontier. Having McMahon in the lineup
definitely helps, but the Nationals need more offensive weapons to develop. Collin Schieman has played well this year and he is coming along as a scoring with eight goals and eight assists. William Bostwick is another player who is starting to emerge. He has six goals and eight assists, but overall it hasn't been enough to overcome a porous defense. While the Nationals need help scoring, since they are averaging just more than two goals per game, the biggest problem facing the Nationals this season has been their defense and goaltending. Glacier has played a number of different players in net this season, such as Mikhail Pahrebets, Ben Perone, Raymond Smith and Kevin Hale, who just recently joined the squad, but none of them have been the answer, The Nationals are outshot on a consistent basis, which puts a lot of pressure on the goaltenders, yet still, none of the goalies have a save percentage above 90 percent or a goals against average fewer than five. The remaining position players currently on the Nationals roster are Ronald Robertson, Trevor Jensen, Brett LeBeau, Kade Friede, Mitch Tulk, Wyatt Mattfeldt, Brendon Heims, Kelby McLain, Tim VainTuinen, Brandon Echelbarger, Kevin Kittelson, William Bostwick, Logan Kraft, Alex Hanson, Blake Hanson, Tanner Poker, Justin Miller and Jake Reuben. The Nationals have played more than half of their 47-game schedule this season and in addition to competing against Helena, Great Falls, Billings, Gillette, Bozeman and Yellowstone in the Pioneer Division, they also just took part in the NA3HL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota, for the second straight year, where they faced Sugar Land, Texas, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The Nationals lost all three games at the showcase, but at least gave their players a chance to be looked at by both college and other junior-level hockey scouts. The Nationals will attempt to end their losing streak Jan. 1 when they travel to Helena to take on the Big Horns.
G D F F G F D F D D F F D F F F F F F D F G G F
6-4 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-2 6-5 6-1 5-9 5-11 6-1 5-11 6-0 6-0 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-11 5-11
195 200 L 230 R 212 L 195 280 R 195 R 175 R 185 L 165 R 175 L 280 R 180 R 160 L 160 R 150 R 165 R 180 R 195 R 185 R 155 R 187 175 185
May 29, 1997 Oct 01, 1996 Dec 03, 1996 Apr 16, 1998 Jan 10, 1997 May 06, 1995 Jul 02, 1995 Sep 04, 1996 Aug 25, 1999 May 27, 1997 Apr 12, 1996 Jan 26, 1999 Jul 25, 1996 Feb 02, 1996 Jan 06, 1996 Jun 19, 1996 Mar 25, 1996 Oct 31, 1998 Mar 04, 1996 May 11, 1996 Jun 22, 1998 Apr 25, 1997 Sep 28, 1996 Jan 17, 1995
Austin, TX Manitoba, MB Devils Lake, ND Glasgow, MT Palmer, AK Great Falls, MT Fargo, ND Havre, MT Grand Rapids, MI Phoenix, AZ Zeeland, MI Chinook, MT Great Falls, MT Havre, MT Havre, MT Longmont, CO Waconia, MN Aurora, CO Kalamazoo, MI Waconia, MN Havre, MT Flower Mound, TX Washington, DC Bloomington, MI
4
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
Havre
5
December 2015
1 2 3 5 7 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 22 23 25 27 30 33 77
Pahrebets, Mikhail Robertson, Ronald Kraft, Logan Mattfeldt, Wyatt Hale, Kevin Heims, Brendon Fretheim, Wyatt Huntington, Brandon Echelbarger, Brendan Tulk, Mitch McMahon, Tyler Friede, Kade McLain, Kelby Miller, Justin Jenson, Trevor VanTuinen, Tim Reuben, Jake Bostwick, William Schieman, Collin Kittleson, Kevin Hanson, Blake Smith, Raymond Perone, Ben LeBeau, Brett
HOCKEY
www.havredailynews.com
Nationals now in season two in Havre Glacier Nationals 2015-16 Active Roster Chris Peterson
Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com It's crazy how another year has flown by and it's hard to believe that the Glacier Nationals second season in Havre is more than halfway over. The Nationals, who belong to the Frontier Division of the North American Tier 3 Hockey League, have had a rough go of it at times in their second year in the NA3HL. The team has some talented players but also has struggled to build depth like other, more established junior hockey programs like the ones in Helena or Great Falls. The Nationals have played 27 games so far this season and they have amassed just six points. They are 2-23-2 thus far through their schedule and have gone 19 games without notching a win. Last season, the Nationals won 10 games and finished sixth out of seven teams. And while they still have a chance to climb out of the Frontier's cellar with Billings leading them by just three points in the standings, matching last season's win total will be a bigger challenge. However, at the end of the 201415 campaign, the Nationals had put together a competitive club that challenged and even notched wins over both Great Falls and Helena. And under the leadership of general manager and head coach Butch Kowalka, the Nationals will be looking to do the exact same thing down the stretch this season. Yet, one of the more difficult things in junior hockey is keeping the same players from year to year. A number of talented players have moved on from the Nationals including goalie Ryan Lund, who is playing at Buffalo State University, as well as Karson Frisk, who is playing at Slippery Rock, Tommy Kaddatz, who is playing at Robert Morris, Tyler Unekis, who is playing at Wagner College and Blake Evenou, who is playing for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL. And while advancing so many players to colleges or other junior hockey leagues is a good thing for the Nationals, it means they will have plenty of talent to replace as they get set for the 2015-16 cam-
Havre Daily News/File Photo Collin Schieman of the Glacier Nationals skates with the puck during a Frontier Division hockey game last month at the Havre Ice Dome. The Nationals have struggled out of the gate this season, but they still have the second half of the season to make a playoff push. paign. Fortunately for Kowalka, the Nationals do have some players returning from a season ago, including forwards Tyler McMahon, who
is the team's leading goal-scorer with 16 goals and 12 assists, Brendan Huntington (two goals, four assists) and defenseman Wyatt Fretheim (three goals, seven assists).
McMahon is far and away the team leader in total points with 28. He has also been one of the most consistent attackers in the Frontier. Having McMahon in the lineup
definitely helps, but the Nationals need more offensive weapons to develop. Collin Schieman has played well this year and he is coming along as a scoring with eight goals and eight assists. William Bostwick is another player who is starting to emerge. He has six goals and eight assists, but overall it hasn't been enough to overcome a porous defense. While the Nationals need help scoring, since they are averaging just more than two goals per game, the biggest problem facing the Nationals this season has been their defense and goaltending. Glacier has played a number of different players in net this season, such as Mikhail Pahrebets, Ben Perone, Raymond Smith and Kevin Hale, who just recently joined the squad, but none of them have been the answer, The Nationals are outshot on a consistent basis, which puts a lot of pressure on the goaltenders, yet still, none of the goalies have a save percentage above 90 percent or a goals against average fewer than five. The remaining position players currently on the Nationals roster are Ronald Robertson, Trevor Jensen, Brett LeBeau, Kade Friede, Mitch Tulk, Wyatt Mattfeldt, Brendon Heims, Kelby McLain, Tim VainTuinen, Brandon Echelbarger, Kevin Kittelson, William Bostwick, Logan Kraft, Alex Hanson, Blake Hanson, Tanner Poker, Justin Miller and Jake Reuben. The Nationals have played more than half of their 47-game schedule this season and in addition to competing against Helena, Great Falls, Billings, Gillette, Bozeman and Yellowstone in the Pioneer Division, they also just took part in the NA3HL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota, for the second straight year, where they faced Sugar Land, Texas, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The Nationals lost all three games at the showcase, but at least gave their players a chance to be looked at by both college and other junior-level hockey scouts. The Nationals will attempt to end their losing streak Jan. 1 when they travel to Helena to take on the Big Horns.
G D F F G F D F D D F F D F F F F F F D F G G F
6-4 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-2 6-5 6-1 5-9 5-11 6-1 5-11 6-0 6-0 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-11 5-11
195 200 L 230 R 212 L 195 280 R 195 R 175 R 185 L 165 R 175 L 280 R 180 R 160 L 160 R 150 R 165 R 180 R 195 R 185 R 155 R 187 175 185
May 29, 1997 Oct 01, 1996 Dec 03, 1996 Apr 16, 1998 Jan 10, 1997 May 06, 1995 Jul 02, 1995 Sep 04, 1996 Aug 25, 1999 May 27, 1997 Apr 12, 1996 Jan 26, 1999 Jul 25, 1996 Feb 02, 1996 Jan 06, 1996 Jun 19, 1996 Mar 25, 1996 Oct 31, 1998 Mar 04, 1996 May 11, 1996 Jun 22, 1998 Apr 25, 1997 Sep 28, 1996 Jan 17, 1995
Austin, TX Manitoba, MB Devils Lake, ND Glasgow, MT Palmer, AK Great Falls, MT Fargo, ND Havre, MT Grand Rapids, MI Phoenix, AZ Zeeland, MI Chinook, MT Great Falls, MT Havre, MT Havre, MT Longmont, CO Waconia, MN Aurora, CO Kalamazoo, MI Waconia, MN Havre, MT Flower Mound, TX Washington, DC Bloomington, MI
6
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
3
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
Havre has hockey teams for all ages Ice Hawks looking sharp so far Below high school, Havre is fielding nine youth hockey teams this winter Chris Peterson
Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com When the weather gets to be near freezing temperatures, you know winter is here, and in Havre, wintertime means it's time for hockey. It's no secret that Havre is a big hockey town. Not only does the town support the Havre Ice Hawks Youth Hockey, it's also home to a junior hockey club named the Glacier Nationals. Yet, the Nationals are in just their second season up on the Hi-Line, so the real foundation of hockey in Havre lies with the Ice Hawks and Havre Youth Hockey. In addition to the Ice Hawks high school team, there are nine other youth hockey teams in Havre that are made up of either boys or girls or a mixed group. One team that is made up just of girls is the Havre Ice Hawks girls U14 team, which competes in the B division in the girls 14 and under classification. The team features 14 players and those are Olivia Albrecht, Marki Benjamin, Heather Herring, Clara Holland, Bradi Holland, Sophie Kirkpatrick, Mackenzie Kuhn, Jersi Morse, Rhoda Peterson, Kinzee Peterson, Talia Ralph, Jocelyn Staples, Makaylen Top Sky and Grace Ymzon. Havre Youth Hockey also has two teams representing it in the Mite division, which is for ages 8 and under. One mites team (Ice Hawks M1) features 17 players and they are Evan Baldwin, Sylas Belcourt, Oliver Benjamin, Gus Chase, Jerek Dees, Evan Karns, Unique Sky Not Afraid, Ronin Olsen, Dax Ostwalt, Koby Preputin, Ryan Ramberg, Rogan Sayers, Pieper Shulund, Gray Toldness and Xavier Ymzon. The other mites team (Ice Hawks M2) includes Micah Conner, Kayla Hobbs, Henry Miller, Aiden Moomey, Nathan Motichka and Maxim White.
Havre Daily News/File Photo Havre's Kaine Black skates during the Squirt's hockey state tournament back in 2014 at the Havre Ice Dome. Havre Youth Hockey has grown so much that the association fields multiple teams in multiple age divisions now, including girls, Bantams, Squirts, PeeWees, Termites and Mites. All of the Havre teams have already started their 2015-16 season and play their home games at the Havre Ice Dome. Just below the Mite division, is the termite division, which is for players 6 and under, and in that age group, the Ice Hawks again boast two teams. The first termite team (Ice Hawks T1) consists of Anthony Boyce, Will Chase, Wyatt Hanson, Alivia Hopper, Kaden Larson, Kody Lee, Ashlynn Matakis, Adaira McLean, Brooklynn Morse, Trent Naber, Chelsea Patera, Jace Ramberg, Coyal Redding, Kendan Sayers, Grayson Sayers, Steven Strike, Kaden Well, Carson Walter, Harper Wendland. The second termite team (Ice
Hawks T2) has 13 players on its roster and they are Jack Benjamin, Cutler Branden, Cale Clampitt, Brayden Cooper, Jostyn Dees, Daniel Fraser, Matthew Garcia, Brycen Henson, Brayden McLain, Sean Nagel, Preseley Perez, Gabriel Whiskeyjack and Isaac Ymzon. The Ice Hawks also boast a pair of Squirt Teams, both have 11 players. The first team has Ciaran Courtnage, Jacob Herring, Heather Herring, Clara Holland, Jersi Morse, Madison Motichka, Tanya Ralph, Trayden Riley, London Toldness, Makaylen Top Sky and Rhett
Wertheimer. The other team has Levi Benjamin, Austin Boyce, Paisley Branden, Michael Emge, David Emge, Dever Everingham, Decker Hanson, Frances Hanson, Grant Karns, Mackenzie Kuhn and Bryce Shettel. In the bantam division, the Ice Hawks have one team of 10 players and those are Dexter Beck, Donovan Cooper-McLain, Elliott Hanson, Riley Kilgore, Jace Lipp, Rhoda Peterson, Kinzee Peterson, Talia Ralph, Trent Shettel and Bridger Staples. Last but not least is the Ice Hawks
pee-wee team, which has 14 players, including Marki Benjamin, Kaine Black, Sophie Kirkpatrick, Trenton Maloughney, Tavish McLean, Connor Moomey, Theron Peterson, Stephen Preputin, Trennis Riley, Colt St. Marks, Jocelyn Staples, Colby Tilleman, Stephon Top Sky and Grace Ymzon. All the Ice Hawks youth hockey teams have begun play this season and will compete in their respective state tournaments around the state, including Havre in the first part of March.
Ivy Elliot Photography The Havre Ice Hawks high school hockey team poses for a team photo before the start of the 2015-16 season. The Ice Hawks began their season last month. The team team is made up this year of players from Havre, Chinook and Lewistown.
Chris Peterson
Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com Hockey season is in full swing in Havre and that means that the Havre Ice Hawks’ 2015-16 season is well underway. So far, the Ice Hawks high school hockey team has taken the ice a total of six times and thus far the Ice Hawks are sitting with a record of 1-4-1. Havre opened its season earlier this month on the road in Glasgow and earned a split, losing 6-3 in the first game, but
rebounding in the second game to defeat the Ice Dawgs by the score of 11-2. The nine-goal victory was also significant because of the five goals scored in the game by Clifford Lenhardt, who also added an assist. After splitting with Glasgow, the Ice Hawks played inside the Havre Ice Dome and their hometown fans for the first time Dec. 12 and 13. That weekend, the Ice Hawks hosted the Butte Copperkings and in the first game between the two teams, they fought their way to a 5-5 draw. Then in the second game,
Butte flexed its muscle and won easily 8-2. Havre got goals that weekend from Kade Friede, Lenhardt, Cole Hanson, Barrett Kilgore, Jeffrey Ralph, Kyle Kirkpatrick and Ethan Roberts. This past weekend, the Ice Hawks made the trip to Missoula and dropped back-to-back games by the scores of 13-0 and 10-1. Roberts was the only Havre player to score a goal during the two games. Havre goalie Nick Stump posted 54 saves in the loss Friday and 44 saves in the game Saturday. In all, Havre will play eight more
home games at the Ice Dome this season. The Ice Hawks will be at home Jan. 8-9 to take on Billings, as well as Jan. 23-24 to face off against Miles City. The month of February will see the Ice Hawks host Bozeman Feb. 6-7 and Helena Feb. 13. The rest of Havre's schedule includes games in Great Falls Jan. 16-17, games in Whitefish Feb. 2021 and games in Miles City Feb. 27-28. The Ice Hawk's season will wrap up with the Montana State B Hockey Tournament March 10-13, also in Miles City.
The Ice Hawks will have a different look to their roster this season, as they welcome in three players from Lewistown to help fill out the team. But Havre also has some outstanding returning players from last year's team, including Ralph, Stump, Hanson, Lenhardt, Kirkpatrick and Friede. Kilgore, Roberts, August Eacker and Alex Stilger are the other Havre players who make up the roster, while Bayron Merker, Noah Kirsch and Bryce Denton
â– See Ice Hawks Page 8
2
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
7
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
Havre has turned into a real hockey town Havre Ice Dome continues to grow From the Fringe...
George Ferguson Sports Editor
In these parts, winter comes early, winter comes often, and Old Man Winter likes to stick around. All that being the case, winter sports are a big, big deal. It’s no wonder that Havre is a hockey town. After all, it seems like it’s frozen around here for six months out of the year. But the progress to Havre being a budding hockey hotbed has been a long one because it wasn’t always that way. Yes, it’s true, kids have been playing hockey in Havre for a long time but, as far as organized hockey goes, Havre had to grow into the game. There was a time when hockey games could be seen in Havre as they were originally meant to be seen. Anyone remember the old 5th Avenue outdoor hockey rink? Under just a couple of street lights, and for just a few months out of
the year, hockey games were played outside, on frozen water, right in the middle of town. Then, the Havre Ice Hawks started to take off as a club sport, and they needed to go indoors. For a time, the Ice Hawks had their home base at locations at the Great Northern Fairgrounds, but, while they were skating up there, the Havre Ice Dome was taking shape, and when it was completed, hockey truly took off in this great, wintertime town. Fast forward to now, and hockey is really a big deal in Havre. It’s such a big deal that Havre Youth Hockey boasts a record number of teams, and a record number of youths, ranging from the age of 18, all the way down to ages 6 and under, playing the game. In other words, when you look at the amount of youths playing organized hockey in Havre, you have to marvel at the growth of the sport in this community. Add to that the Glacier Nationals, and an adult hockey league, and there’s no denying that hockey is now truly and forever one of Havre’s biggest and most popular sports. That is as it should be. After all,
Havre's rink has become a premier facility serving many functions Chris Peterson
Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com
not only is Havre a winter town, but it’s also just a stone’s throw away from the Canadian border, and we all know how they feel about their hockey in Canada. Yes, Havre has always been a town that centers around and is known for its winters. And yes, as long as there was frozen water, somewhere around this town, kids
have been playing hockey for many generations. Now, however, things are different. Now, Havre has a great hockey facility and a great hockey tradition. These days, Havre isn’t growing into hockey anymore. Now, Havre is one of Montana’s true hockey towns.
Havre Daily News/File Photo The Havre Ice Hawks high school hockey team, and the Havre Youth Hockey Association have become a popular sport in Havre and along the Hi-Line. There are Ice Hawks teams for all age groups now, with both boys and girls playing the sport.
Havre may be a small town in Montana, but it has some very unique things about it and one of those is the Havre Ice Dome. If you're around the people of Havre long, it doesn't take long to figure out that they are passionate about sports and one of the sports that they are most passionate about is hockey and, in particular, youth hockey. For decades, the Havre Youth Hockey Association has run the Havre Ice Hawks hockey program and, in general, it has been one of the most successful youth hockey outfits in the state of Montana. It has been a few years since the Ice Hawks high school team was winning state championships, but that doesn't change the fact that as a town, Havre is a bigsupporter of hockey and the Ice Dome is evidence of that. Like Legion Field or Blue Pony Stadium, it has a special place in the hearts of Havre sports fans and that's not just because it's a hockey rink. Sure, the Ice Hawks and Havre Youth Hockey call it home, as do the Glacier Nationals, a junior hockey team that competes in the Frontier Division of the North American Tier 3 Hockey League, but it also hosts plenty of events for the community as well. The arena, which holds more than 500 people, was a big draw for the Nationals, who decided to relocate to Havre following the 2013-14 season. Between this year and last year, Glacier will have played more than 50 home games inside the Ice Dome. And the presence of the junior hockey club has also led to a few more streams of revenue, as well as a few upgrades. One of the requirements for any team playing in the NA3HL, is
Havre Daily News/File Photo The Havre Ice Dome has not only become one of Havre's premier sports facilities, but it's also one of the top hockey rinks in Montana, for both players and fans. The Ice Dome also serves many functions outside of hockey season as well, while also ever-changing. that teams must have the ability to stream their games live over the Internet. That's because as a Tier 3 junior hockey league, it's a pay to play format. That means players pay the club to play and part of what is given in return is a chance for their friends and family to watch them remotely. Therefore, the Nationals had to set out to find a way to get Internet access at the Havre Ice Dome, something they achieved before the start of last season, and as a result,
have the ability to stream each and every Nationals game live. The arrival of the Nationals also coincided with the building of brand new locker rooms in the Ice Dome that have given it a more modernized look. Nationals general manager Butch Kowalka has long said that the Ice Dome was a big draw for his team. "The (Ice Dome) was a big thing for us," Kowalka said of moving the Nationals to Havre. "The community really supports hockey, but I was
surprised at how good the facility is. We are lucky to have it." In addition to having Nationals and Ice Hawk games in the building, it also is home to all the Havre Youth Hockey teams. There are nine such teams this season. Yet, the arena is used for much more than hockey games. Multiple nights per week, the rink is open to the public for skating. It also offers the chance to take figure and ice skating lessons, do some curling or even the chance to play a pick-
up hockey game if they so choose. It also hosts a number of youth hockey tournaments and provides camps, private lessons and clinics on hockey. In truth, the Ice Dome is a pillar of the sports community. It has not only offered hundreds or possibly thousands of kids, the chance to play and learn the game of hockey, it also has given the community a chance for some unique, on-ice experiences. And for that, the town of Havre and it's sports enthusiasts should be grateful.
8
Havre
HOCKEY
December 2015
www.havredailynews.com
Ice Hawks: Havre High school hockey team's 2015-16 season is well underway this winter â– From Page 3 from Lewistown, round out the Ice Hawk's roster. Havre is also under the direction of new head coach Brian Lenhardt, who takes over the program from Scott Gunderson. Tyler Boyce and John Huntington will also be assistant coaches this season. "I think that we are looking good," Lenhardt said. "We have a bit of a different dynamic because we have three kids from Lewistown on our team that have joined our Havre games and through the first few games, I have been very pleased. They have done very well." While the Ice Hawks struggled against both Butte and Missoula, those teams come from much bigger towns and that makes it difficult for Havre to compete against them. But, the Montana Amateur Hockey Association, now allows teams to be split into two divisions at the state tournament based on results throughout the regular season. "Sometimes it's hard to compete with those big towns because of their depth," Lenhardt said. "But our goal is still the game. We would like to play well enough to get into that top tournament. We play well
against everybody but the bigger teams are tougher, yet we also plays teams like Miles City, which is a lot more like our size." The Ice Hawks are still just six games into the season and have plenty of hockey to play and, accordingly, they will be back in action inside the Havre Ice Dome Jan. 8-9 to take on Billings. They will also compete in the state tournament March 10-13 in Miles City. Havre Daily News/File Photo Havre's Nick Stump skates with the puck during a Havre Ice Hawk's high school hockey game last winter at the Havre Ice Dome. The Ice Hawks are six games into their 2015-16 season.