Close to 50 students graduated from Assiniboine College at its convocation ceremony, Friday afternoon.

Following a blessing by Elder Reg Nepinak, Parkland Campus director Carol Stewart gave some opening remarks, followed by greetings from AC president Mark Frison, as well as greetings from Kayla Gillis of the Assiniboine Alumni, welcoming the graduates to the association.

Abigail Worrall, one of 12 students from the Practical Nursing program, then gave her valedictorian speech, stating it was an honour for her to deliver the address.

Worrall began by stating she had applied on a whim for the Practical Nursing program two years ago and just three days before the program began.

On her first day, she said, she sat down in her seat and was immediately overwhelmed with imposter syndrome.

“I questioned myself. Do I belong here? Am I smart enough to fill this seat?” she said, adding she was sure every graduate in attendance entered their program of choice with the same questions and not knowing if they would succeed  and doubting their own capability.

Worrall noted she soon realized a valuable lesson that carried her through her journey.

“We are capable of so much more than we let ourselves believe. It is only when we let go of those toxic doubts, start to believe in ourselves and begin to see our full potential that we can truly thrive,” she said.

“Now look at us today, celebrating the remarkable achievement that is graduating.”

Suddenly, she added, those distant doubts feel so silly and meaningless. Graduation day, Worrall said, testifies to the hard work, dedication and sacrifices they all made.

“But today is also a testimony to how capable, intelligent and deserving we are of this success. We have worked irelessly to reach this milestone and now, here we are, at the threshold of a new chapter, ready to turn the page into the unknown of the real world,” she said.

Worrall noted during the first year of school, Minegoziibe Anishinabe (formerly known as Pine Creek First Nation), gifted the campus a sacred bison skull, a symbol of strength and resilience.

Elder Reg, she said, met with students to share its profound spiritual meaning.

“I can vividly recall his words as he spoke about the bison, how it charges straight into the storm, meeting it head on without hesitation,” she said, adding Elder Reg told students to be like a bison, to face every storm, every challenge and every hardship with courage, not to run from it, but to push through it.

His teachings, Worrall said, resonated with her, leaving a lasting impression, guiding her through every test, every sleepless night and every setback she encountered during her time at the college.

“As we now begin to transition into our careers, we undoubtedly will endure plenty more obstacles. Let us all carry this powerful lesson along with us, remembering the strength of the bison to confront whatever adversity we may face,” she said.

Worrall then directed her comments to those who taught them, stating none of the graduates would be where they are today without the guidance of the dedicated, inspirational and passionate instructors.

“They have been with us every step of the way, offering encouragement and support, uplifting us to be the best possible versions of ourselves. With unwavering patience, often answering the same question 10 times or more, their hard work and commitment do not go unnoticed,” she said, adding a heartfelt thank you to her instructors on behalf of the Practical Nursing program students.

“You have not only taught us the clinical skills required for the nursing profession, but also the compassion, empathy and resilience needed to thrive in this demanding field. Your devotion to our success has made a lasting impact and profoundly shaped our lives and nursing careers,” she said.

“We will deeply miss the classes, skills labs and practicums with you immensely. Your exceptional guidance in the Practical Nursing program has been invaluable and we owe our success to you.”

Worrall then turned her thoughts to the students’ families and friends, who, she said, were beaming with pride and probably a little relief that they were finally done with their education.

For the full story and list of grads, read this week’s edition of the Dauphin Herald.

The Dauphin Hawks basketball program began its season with some tryouts prior to spring break and some after the annual school hiatus.

There are four teams in the program this year, 14U and 17U girls teams and 14U and 17U boys teams.

Program co-ordinator John Marshall said most of the teams have competed in two or three tournaments so far and are developing well.

“The development has been excellent. We are been playing against really, really great competition. So it’s really helping us to further our skills, dribbling, passing shooting. The basics. Those skills are getting more developed,” he said.

“And we can see easily, the difference it’s made.”

The program started with one 15U team and has now grown to four teams comprised of 60 players. This year is the third in which there have been four teams, competing in a number of tournaments.

The season ends for all teams in mid-June at a tournament in Yorkton, Sask.

Marshall has been pleased with the results, but notes they are not the most important aspect of the program.

“We’re not concerned about winning and losing. Yes, it’s great to win. But we told the kids that it’s development. I keep saying that word to them,” he said.

“But we told them that the skills that you’re refining, that you’re working on in club, when you go to high school, when you’re playing JV or varsity, you’re going to be able to be a much stronger player on the court. When you’re facing so called ‘hard teams’ in high school, they won’t seem so hard because you’ve seen the best of the best in Manitoba.”

Marshall appreciates the time and effort put in by the coaches for each team.

They include head coach Scott Carr and assistant coach Rommel Soltis with the U17 girls team; head coach Josh Marshall and assistant coaches Matthew Marshall and Matthew Angus with the 17U boys team; head coach Nathan Fleck and assistant coaches Kara Vanderheyden and Madeline Hope with the 14U girls team; and Marshall and assistant coach Logan Marshall with the 14U boys team.

Fresh off helping the Brandon University Bobcats win the U Sports national volleyball title, Dauphin’s JJ Love will be taking his talent to Greece where he will play professionally.

Before signing with G.S. Iraklis Thessalonikis men’s volleyball team, Love made not one, but two Canadian national teams - the NextGen team and the 30-man VNL roster.

Love attended a six-day tryout camp in Gatineau, Que., where he continues to train with the teams.

“It’s been good. I’m learning lots. There’s a lot of good coaches out here and they’re teaching me a lot. And it’s lots of volleyball. We’ve been doing double days, so practice in the morning, practice in the evening and a lunch in between,” he said.

It was a huge honour, Love said, to make these teams, adding it is an example of hard work eventually paying off.

“But there’s always more hard work to do. Making this team is just the start. Once I got out here and started playing with the guys, it just shows there’s a whole other level out there and you can always improve and you’ve always got to keep working hard,” he said.

The NextGen team will take part in the NORCECA Cup in Mexico at the end of August, while the VNL will compete on three weekends in Quebec, Chicago and Slovenia.

Love said a travel roster will be selected from among the 30 on the VNL roster to compete in Slovenia.

Love had the option of returning to the Bobcats for his fifth season or turning professional overseas.

“It just came to the situation where I thought this would take me and my game to the next level and I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” he said.

Love hopes to continue to develop his game through these programs.

“I think volleyball is one of those cool sports where there’s always areas you can improve and I don’t think you ever reach max capacity. I think there’s always areas to develop and things you can work on,” he said.

Love’s ultimate goal is to make the men’s national senior team.

“I think that’s every volleyball players goal. Until I get that, I’ll keep trying to work my hardest and hopefully make it there one day,” he said.

The Parkland Rangers U18 and U15 hockey teams will have new coaches at the helm when the season starts in the fall.

Rick Freese was hired as the new head coach of the U18 Rangers, following a two-year stint as an assistant coach with the Dauphin Kings.

In taking over from outgoing head coach Tom White, Freese said the focus will be on developing players.

“And doing a little more here that has been done in the past as far as off-ice stuff and on-ice. We’re going to get on the ice a little more,” he said.

“We’re going to try to maybe shift the culture a little bit here to make sure that we’re competitive. I think that a little bit of change is a good thing and we’re definitely going to give it all we’ve got, for sure.”

Freese has already reached out to all players eligible to return next season and has been emailing prospective players, as well.

“Nothing is guaranteed for those guys. And that’s the message. They’ve got to make sure that they’re prepared and have a good summer and they never miss a workout. That they’re making sure that they’re ready to go in the fall,” he added.

Nothing, Freese said, is guaranteed, so the returning players will have to make their mark.

“And they’re well aware of that, too. They’re young men and they understand the pressures of being an elite player. They’ll make sure that they’re ready to go, no doubt about it,” he said.

The Rangers will hold try-out conditioning ice sessions in August.

“We’re going to have our returning players there. We’re going to have some new prospects there. We’re looking to fill that up,” Freese said.

The main try-out camp will run, Sept. 12 to 14.

Freese will be on the road this month to begin the recruiting process by making contact with prospective players.

Freese is in the process of talking to prospective assistant coaches and expects an announcement to be made in the near future.

“I’m looking forward to making sure that we’re doing the best we can. We’ve got to put the right foot forward, of course, We want to come out of the gate real well. But we want to sustain that. We want to get better throughout the course of the year. And I think that’s the message,” he said.

“Getting these guys to the next level is the most important thing and that’s what we’re really going to be focusing on here.”

The U15 Rangers will be under the tutelage of Chad Facey, who spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with the Kings, competing at the Centennial Cup after winning the league championship in 2022.

Facey’s tactical knowledge and leadership helped drive one of the most successful seasons in Kings franchise history.

Facey is one of the most respected and accomplished coaches in Manitoba AAA hockey. With over a decade of experience behind the bench, he has earned a reputation for building high-performing teams and developing players who succeed at the next level.

Prior to his time in the MJHL, Facey served as head coach of the Yellowhead Chiefs U18 AAA program in the Manitoba AAA U18 Hockey League.

Under his guidance, the Chiefs finished in the league’s top three during the regular season three times, solidifying his reputation as one of the premier coaches at the U18 level in the province.

Facey’s development resume is equally impressive at younger age levels. In 2016, he helped guide a U15 team to a provincial final, showing his ability to connect with athletes early in their development and elevate their game.

Bringing Facey into the Parkland Rangers program is a major milestone for the organization. His experience across U15, U18, and Junior A levels gives him a unique ability to develop, motivate and prepare players for what lies ahead.

The Dauphin Clippers rugby teams are into the semifinals in the Westman High School Rugby after ending the regular season, last week.

The Clippers girls beat the Souris Sabres, 55-0, to finish in first place with a perfect 4-0 record, outscoring their opponents, 276-0.

Isabella Williams and Felicity Sahulka had two tries each and Ryann Richard-Soltis, Ruth Dandeneau, Kiersten Vandekerckhove, Desiree Lariviere and Sigrid Katerud had one each. Ruth Evans added five converts.

Clippers coach Shawn Sarkonak was pleased with the team’s play, noting the first 15 minutes were back-and-forth with neither team gaining any field advantage.

“It was played between the 22 (yard lines). It was pretty much a defensive battle,” he said.

It was around the 15-minute mark that Dauphin scored its first try. And the score at halftime was 17-0 in favour of Dauphin.

“It was back-and-forth. They made it tough. And they almost got one on us. They drove it all the way to our five-metre line, got us hemmed in our own zone. But we managed to get it turned over and get out of the half and the rest of the game without being scored on,” Sarkonak said.

After doing some research, Sarkonak found the Clippers are 20-0 since the start of the 2023 season in 15s rugby, outscoring their opponents in that time, 1,206-30.

Sarkonak said the team takes pride in its current streak, but they are aware that streaks are meant to come to an end.

“(Assistant coach) Kent (Miner) and I just say that if we get scored on, we get scored on. It’s not going to be the end of the world. Just keep playing Clipper girls rugby and play hard, play tough and play team-like,” he said.

“They know that the streak is on the line, but I do believe it keeps them motivated to keep going as long as they can.”

Sarkonak was pleased to see the balanced scoring continue.

“That what you love to see. You have 14 teammates out there with you, so there’s no need for being individuals. And that’s honestly the biggest part of the success that we’re having, is just playing a full all-around team game,” he said.

The Clippers will now face the fourth-place Crocus Plains Plainsmen in the semifinals, tonight at 5:30 p.m. in Dauphin.

With no 15s girls teams in Winnipeg, the finalists in the Westman league will meet in Brandon for the provincial title.

Read this weeks Dauphin Herald for more.

The Watson Arts Centre is bringing back the Concert Series for 2025-26.

Dauphin and District Allied Arts Council Inc. board chair Cam Bennet said they have been talking about bringing the concert series back for quite a while at the entertainment committee level.

“And we felt that we really wanted to have at least one year where we had what people would recognize as a series before going back to buying as a ticket,” he said.

“And we do hear from out in the community. We do hear people saying, ‘we’d like you to bring it back.’ And so, we’ve got our lineup for next year.”

The series begins, Oct. 4, with the Highwaymen Tribute concert. The next show won’t be until Jan. 24, when The Abrams take to the stage. The third show will feature ABBA Revisited, Mar. 5, with the final show taking place, Apr. 18, featuring The Derina Harvey Band.

All four shows will be in the Johnston and Co. Auditorium.

Tickets for each show are $45 or you can purchase a total series package for $150. Tickets can be purchased at the Watson Arts Centre during regular business hours from Monday to Friday from noon to 5 p.m.

Tickets will also be available to purchase online soon.

Bennet said 25 tickets were sold at the recent Business Expo.

When the decision was made to bring the concert series back, there were no specific acts the board wanted to target. Bennet said the Highwaymen Tribute show actually reached out to him at the MCMA Awards.

“We had a little chat and he emailed me a week or so after and we said, yeah, let’s go for it,” he said.

Bennet had been wanting to bring in an ABBA related act for a long time and they were able to book ABBA Revisited through connections with the Manitoba Arts Network.

“I know there’s a lot of excitement for that one. But I can guarantee you all four concerts are just going to be outstanding,” he said.

“I haven’t seen The Abrams live. It was a video submission that I saw, but they’re just a fantastic country-rock band. And The Derina Harvey Band is going to be just something that people are going to be talking about for a long time. A Newfie kitchen-party kind of band and it’s just going be a great time.”

Bennet is looking forward to a successful series and is excited that people have already purchased tickets, which he says shows the commitment level of city residents.

“At some point, we’re probably going to go to businesses to see if they want to purchase a series pack as a support level kind-of-thing,” he said.

“But certainly businesses, individuals are welcome and encouraged to buy. It’s going to be a great show.”

The Dauphin Clippers fastball team continued to prepare for zones with an exhibition game, as well as a one-day tournament in Ste. Rose, Saturday.

The exhibition game saw the Clippers fall 12-7 to the Ste. Rose Celtics, Thursday in Dauphin.

The Clippers opened the tournament with a 4-2 loss to the Neepawa Tigers, before rebounding to beat the Swan Valley Tigers, 13-4.

This put the Clippers into the third place game, where they lost to the host Celtics, 19-17.

Clippers coach Kyle Forsyth was pleased with the team’s play over the weekend.

“That wind was a challenge in the first game or two. The girls actually played really good this weekend. There’s a few little things that we’re going to work on. But other than that, they’re improving every game,” he said.

Forsyth is pleased to see the offence starting to produce.

“Our bats are starting to come around. We’re going to work a little bit more on that, because the bats went quiet a little bit  in the one game for a couple of innings, but then they came alive after that. Overall, the bats are coming along,” he said.

Forsyth noted there are a couple of new pitchers this year who haven’t pitch much in the past.

“They’ve done a great job for us, so far. We’ve had a couple of our regulars that came in and they shut the door when we needed them to. Pitching is coming along. We’re going to work a little bit more on a few things there,” he said.

The Clippers and Celtics will play another exhibition game, Thursday in Ste. Rose prior to hosting zones, May 20.

Forsyth feels the Clippers will be ready for the zone playoffs.

“I think the next few practices that we have between now and zones, we’ll work on a few things that we noticed over the last little while here,” he said.

“We’ve got to keep realizing that they’ve got to go back to the basics on a few things. The girls overall, they know what they need to do. It’s just when they get into that game situation, they forget and panic a little bit. We’ve just got to remember to settle down and play our game.”

The Dauphin Clippers rugby teams continued their winning ways last week, with each team picking up key victories in Westman High School Rugby.

The Clippers girls handily beat the Crocus Plains JV squad, 70-0, May 5 in Brandon.

Paityn Bourgouin had two tries to lead the Clippers, while Ryann Richard-Soltis, Jorja Percival, Mindy Chartrand, Ruth Evans, Kiersten Vanderkerckhov, Yulia Semerak, Felicity Sahulka, Victoria Carter, Desiree Lariviere and Jade Toews all had singles. Evans also added five converts.

On Thursday in Dauphin, Bourgouin had three tries to lead Dauphin to a 69-0 win over the Vincent Massey Vikings.

Carter, Sigrid Katerud, Evans, Vanderkerckhov, Mila Heschuk, Sahulka, Halie Garlinski and Madison Ferland all had tries and Evans had seven converts.

Clippers coach Shawn Sarkonak was pleased with the way the game finished, noting he and assistant coach Kent Miner weren’t pleased with the play in the first half.

“Just with core skill let downs. I think they let the weather get to them with the wind and just weren’t really focusing on those details. So there were a lot of dropped balls or passes at ankles,” he said.

“But over the course of the game, throughout the second half, they really cleaned things up.”

Sarkonak was pleased with the balanced scoring, with only one player scoring more than one try. That is something he and Miner emphasize, that it is a team game and there are no individuals.

“It’s not about getting individual points. It’s about getting team points, so spread it out and encourage your teammate to get one, as well,” he said.

The defence continues to shine, recording its ninth shutout in a row. Sarkonak notes the girls put the work in.

“Especially when the ball is on their side. They compete hard with tackles and then counter rucking to get the ball back. And they proved it again (Thursday),” he said.

The Clippers will face the Souris Sabres, Wednesday in Souris, with first place on the line.

The Clippers boys scored a 52-22 win over the Vikings, Thursday in Dauphin.

Ronin Mouck had two tries to lead the offence, while Ryzlie Nepinak, Morgan Fleck, Tristen Fidierchuk, Julien Lopez, Alex Thompson and Blake Thacker had one each. Colten Miner added six converts.

Clippers head coach Aaron Miner was pleased to see the team produce offensively.

“We figured out our game now. We’re starting to realize where our strengths are on the field and we’re managing to get the ball out to those guys,” he said.

“You could see it was the backs that led the charge. You can’t do it without your forwards, your big guys up front, getting them the ball. But yeah, it was a beautifully played and executed game plan.”

Part of the game plan is to spread the scoring out rather than rely on one or two players for all the scoring.

“We have a substantially stacked row of backs back there that we should be spreading it out to and that’s exactly what we did. The other team didn’t know which way it was coming from in the end. It was a work of art. It was beautiful to see,” he said.

Although they allowed 22 points, Miner feels the defence is coming along, as well.

“We haven’t had to show some real intensity yet. We haven’t come across a team with experience that would tackle and try to push over us yet. I believe that is coming next week when we face the Souris Sabres,” he said.

“But I think that’s coming along. I think next week’s game will show the inexperienced players what it takes to win those battles and the experienced players will have to step it up and lead the charge in the defence of anything.”

The Clippers and Sabres meet in Souris, Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., with the winner finishing in first place in the standings.

Miner felt the team’s play suffered from taking too many penalties.

“We’re such a tall team this year. We have four or five players that are over six-two, six-three and we’re just teaching them how to get a little lower,” he said.

“We’ve never experienced a team that’s this tall. So it’s just a matter of teaching them how to get low and drive through those hits.”

With warmer weather on its way, people are eagerly waiting for spring and summer sports to begin.

When it comes to high school sports, that means rugby season will soon be upon us.

And as two-time defending league and provincial champions, the Dauphin Clippers girls team will have high expectations this season.

The girls have been working out for about a month, running weekly practices at Barker School. They are now practicing twice a week at the DRCSS, Mondays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., until they can get outside.

The girls will be coached again by Shawn Sarkonak and Kent Miner.

Sarkonak said they are a little light on numbers right now, but that is to be expected this early in the season.

“Especially with players being multi-sport athletes. We’ve been getting on average about 13 out to practice. But once spring break is done, we’ll be back at it full bore next week, we should have 19 to 21,” he said.

There will be five teams competing in the girls league - Dauphin, Vincent Massey, Souris, Crocus Plains and the Crocus Plains JVs.

Noting the Clippers have graduated a number of quality athletes who have gone on to play at the university level, Sarkonak feels there are still plenty of quality athletes within the team.

“Basically, over the next two years, we’re going to be graduating an entire starting lineup. So the recruitment has started right now and we’ve been fortunate over the last three seasons that we’ve been able to get quality athletes coming out from other sports and trying it out,” he said.

Right now, the focus in practice is on getting a feel for the ball again.

“We did have around nine girls participate in the Westman Winter Academy over the winter and there’s a few of them, right now, taking part in the Team Manitoba 7s training camp and trying to crack Team Manitoba for the Canada Summer Games this summer,” Sarkonak said.

“But right now we do have a few new girls out, so it’s just getting them up to speed and what the game is all about and getting them used to running  and passing the ball and making sure they can play the game safe. With it being a contact sport, how to have good body position and how to tackle properly and how to ruck.”

The team is looking forward to getting outside, but Mother Nature, Sarkonak said, is not co-operating at this point.

Prior to the start of the regular season, the Clippers will take part in the annual John Keogh Memorial Tournament, Apr. 26, in Brandon.

Sarkonak likes the tournament because it gives teams a chance for every player to see some playing time, which helps veteran players get the rust out and new players get to see what a game is really like.

“And they’re able to go out there, make mistakes and it’s not going to matter, because there’s no points. It’s just about getting used to the game,” he said.

The Clippers girls start the season, May 1, when they host the Plainsmen at 5:30 p.m.

The Clippers boys team will be coached by Aaron Miner and Gerald Lopez.

Miner said the team started practicing at the same time as the girls.

There were 46 boys signed up to play rugby this season.

“Which is a great sign for high school boys rugby. It’s a great sign and a bad sign. It’s hard to make a team with 46 players. It’s not quite enough to make two teams,” Miner said.

“So we decided to go with one large team and try to pick up a lot of exhibition games and tournaments so that everybody gets a good chance to get a lot of reps in for the team.”

This year will see four boys teams competing for the league title, with the Clippers entering as two-time defending champions.

While the team is confident going into the season, Miner noted they did lose 12 seniors to graduation.

“We’re down to just two or three Grade 12s this year. It’s definitely a younger team this year, but we are gearing up towards what we like to call a harvest year for next year. Not taking anything back from this year’s team, I think we’re still probably ranked number one in the Westman league,” he said.

The boys are looking amazing so far, Miner said., adding of the 46 players that signed up, more than 25 are rugby veterans that have come up through the Parkland Pirates youth program.

“And have now graduated into the high school program and then will hopefully graduate on to the Dauphin Mavericks,” he said.

“This is what Gerald and I dreamed of 15 years ago when the youth program first started. It’s starting to come to light now and we’re starting to see all the benefits. Without guys like Codi Harrigan and Jordan Campbell taking over the reigns of the youth program and keeping it so active and so popular, these things wouldn’t come to fruition as they are. Things are looking so good on the rugby front in Dauphin, not only at the youth level, but at the senior men’s level now.”

Like the girls, the boys will start the season, May 1, hosting Crocus Plains at 6:30 p.m.

The Dauphin Kings are two wins away from returning to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League final for the first time since winning the Turnbull Memorial Trophy in 2022.

The Kings lead the Portage Terriers two-games-to-none in their best-of-seven semifinal series.

Dauphin opened the series with a 3-1 win in Portage, Friday, before scoring a 4-2 win, Sunday in Dauphin.

Kings head coach and general manager Doug Hedley said goaltender Cole Sheffield has played well in the first two games.

“He made some key saves when he had to. And (Portage goalie Mitchell) Kathler is a real good goaltender and you have to get to the paint. We’re starting to do that better,” he said.

“We’re getting second shots and we’re getting people in front of his eyes and a few deflections and a few good sticks in front of the net. The biggest thing is we’re getting pucks to the paint. We’re getting pucks to the net from the point. We’re getting them through. They’re not blocking them. And the power play was good tonight.”

The Kings scored three times on four tries with the man advantage, while killing off three of Portage’s four power plays.

Hedley said the power play has had good puck movement, but no success.

“But tonight pucks got through and it was good to see,” he said.

Portage controlled the play for much of the first period and had a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes in both games.

Dauphin rebounded in the second of each game to take the lead. In both games, the Terriers pressed to make a game of it, but Sheffield shut the door.

Its when the Kings are struggling that Sheffield comes up with some big saves until the team can turned its play around.

“You’re always going to get tested on your resilience. You’re aways going to get tested on trust in teammates. You’re always going to get tested on your belief. You’re always going to get tested on your work ethic. Right now we rebound, we push back. When teams come at us hard, we push back and have good efforts and the next line that’s coming on the ice have good shifts,” Hedley said, adding the line of Joshua Schmidt, Rylan Gage and Sheldon Shyiak played a big role in turning the team’s play around based on their forecheck and work ethic.

Hedley feels the team can play better defensively, noting they tend to stand and watch when they get in trouble.

“The good thing about it is we kept them to the perimeter for the most part. So at times, we’ve got to be more aggressive and get there faster for support,” he said.

Game three is tonight in Portage and Hedley expects the Terriers to come out hard.

“This will be their biggest push. For sure, they’re going to come at us hard, we know that. They’re a good hockey team and they’re well coached. You don’t win 40 games in this league and not be a good hockey club,” he said.

“We’ve got to stay the course. We’ve got to just make sure we’re tough on pucks, hard on pucks and separate guys. Be first to races a lot of the time. When we’re doing real well, we’re creating speed through the neutral zone from behind the puck. And we have to continue to do it. We know this will be Portage’s biggest push, for sure.”

Game four will be in Dauphin, Friday, at 7:30 p.m.

Kings court: Forward Ethan Stewart remains day-to-day and might be ready to return to the lineup for tonight’s game after going through the seven day protocol.