The U15 Clearwater Icehawks have every reason to be smiling! They won their league, won the playoffs, and this Sunday, they pulled off the ultimate hat trick to become District Champions! These banners will hang in our home arena for years to come as a testimony to a small-town hockey team who did not quit.
The challenges came and went but they only made this team stronger. One key to their success was their two goalies, who rotated and played out as wingers.
The parents on this team are so supportive and so thoughtful. Shortly after the Merritt floods, we played their team here in Clearwater. Our parents surprised them with donuts and chocolate milk. The Merritt parents were all sent home with gas cards. They really were touched by this gesture which acknowledged the pain and chaos they were still dealing with.
The team received many compliments this season, things like sportsmanship and clean dressing rooms. An Okanagan player was heard saying just this past weekend, “Oh man, the Clearwater team. #27 and #28 are so good. And they pass!”
It is a real team effort with this group. They each do their part very well. The team played 46 games this season. They won 42, tied three and the one and only loss was an exhibition game against Kamloops.
The parents of these kids credit their success to the superior coaching Clearwater has provided throughout the years. This season Craig Shook and Dan von Hollen have been a strong force behind these young hockey champs and we are all so grateful for their time and passion.
Submitted by Tina Roy, proud manager of the Clearwater U15 Icehawks
newsroom@clearwatertimes.com
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