Students at Ecole Macneill celebrated French Canadian culture with Voyageur Days, last week, culminating with a tug-of-war, Friday.

The week was filled with activities, song, dance, games and bannock.

The Parkland Vipers 14U girls club volleyball team swept a five-set exhibition match with South Mountain, Sunday at the DRCSS.

The Vipers won the match, 25-0, 25-10, 25-11, 25-12 and 25-16.

Also on Sunday, the Roblin Predators beat the Vipers 15U team in five sets, 25-15, 19-25, 25-20, 13-25 and 25-21.

The team plays again, this Sunday at 12:30 p.m., with the 16U team on the court, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m.

The Parkland Rangers played the role of spoiler over the weekend at the expense of the Interlake Lightning.

The Rangers began the week by scoring an 8-5 win over the Yellowhead Chiefs, Tuesday in Dauphin, keeping Yellowhead from moving ahead of the Winnipeg Thrashers and into fifth place.

On Saturday in Dauphin, Parkland beat the Lightning, 3-1, while the Southwest Cougars defeated the Norman North Stars, 7-2. This resulted in the Cougars moving past Interlake into the eighth and final playoff spot.

The Lightning got a measure of revenge on Sunday, beating the Rangers 8-4, while Southwest stayed one point ahead of Interlake with a 6-1 victory over Norman.

Sunday’s loss snapped a four-game winning streak by the Rangers.

Overall, Rangers head coach Tyler Carefoot was pleased with the team’s play in the three games.

“When you start winning games, the expectations change. We won, Tuesday. We found a way to win (Saturday) and then now it’s no more moral victories. You’re disappointed when you’re not winning,” he said, adding he was proud of Kyler Swanton, who was the difference in Saturday’s win with 43 saves.

“Our first period, we were absolutely just flat. No energy whatsoever. I didn’t know if the players even had a pulse,” he said. “But Swanny held us in there. And again, you win a few games and you feel better about yourself and you find ways to grease some one out and we did that (Saturday). I was very pleased with the way Kyler played to give us a chance to win that game and we found a way.”

Carefoot and the Rangers knew Interlake would be desperate on Sunday after getting knocked out of the final playoff spot.

In the end, it was too many unforced errors that cost the Rangers.

Interlake scored 18 seconds into the second period and added another 1:07 later to take a 4-1 lead. And it took them just 29 seconds to find the back of the net in the third.

“You can’t have that. You’ve got to eliminate that. I just think, overall, today we were just too easy to play against. And when you’re playing against a team that’s desperate, we were easy prey and that’s what happened,” Carefoot said.

Carefoot was especially pleased with the play of forward Hayden Seib, who is second in team scoring with 34 points, including 15 goals. He has points in each of the last seven games.

“He’s been consistent all season, just trying to focus on the details,” he said, adding Dru Mushumanski has also shone of late, with seven goals and 22 points in his last 12 games to take over the team scoring lead.

The Rangers end the season with a final road trip to Brandon to take on the Wheat Kings on Wednesday, before hosting Norman, Saturday in Swan River at 7:30 p.m.

Carefoot hopes the team can finish the season strong, noting they are looking at the Brandon contest as their Mount Rushmore game.

“We’re going to treat that game like it’s the championship final. I want to make sure the boys are ready to go. We’re going practice on Tuesday, leading into Brandon. All that I want that night is just energy and just the spirit of being the best that they can be, whatever the result may be,” he said. “Regardless of the result, that will lead us into the weekend against Norman to wrap up the season.”

In the ever changing landscape of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s MGEU West Division, the Dauphin Kings find themselves tied for second place after losing two of three games last week.

Dauphin dropped a 2-1 decision to the Virden Oil Capitals, Tuesday in Virden, before Marko Belak made 28 saves in leading the Kings to a 4-0 win over the Winnipeg Freeze, Friday in Dauphin.

On Saturday, a pair of second-period power-play goals lifted the OCN Blizzard to a 2-1 victory over the Kings in Dauphin.

Kings head coach and general manager said the team has been getting good goaltending, but not the effort to match.

“It’s one of those things where we’ve got to be ready to play. If they’re thinking about what they’re going to do when the season is over, then it won’t be long before it’s over,” he said. “When we play on our toes and we play fast, we’re a really good hockey team. We’re probably a first-place hockey team. But when we watch and be spectators and watch what other guys do, it’s frustrating.”

The offence has been hit and miss of late. But Hedley said that is what happens when you don’t attack the blueline with speed or don’t go to the net for second shots or throw the puck at the net.

“The little things. We know what to do and when we do it, we do it well. It’s just frustrating, because I know we’re a lot better than this,” he said.

Hedley pointed out the Kings are 8-5 since the Christmas break and still have their destiny in their own hands.

Things will not get any easier for the Kings as they face the Steinbach Pistons in a home-and-home this weekend, beginning, Friday in Dauphin with the rematch the next night in Steinbach.

Eight of the remaining 12 games are on the road, including six of the final eight games, so now is the time to start playing consistently, Hedley said.

If there is one area the Kings need to improve upon, Hedley said it is puck management and competing for pucks.

“When we stand and watch and spectate, we’re not a very good hockey club. When we’re first to pucks and compete and win stick battles and guys are on their toes, we’re real tough to beat,” he said, adding the team also has to be more disciplined.

The Kings enter the week tied with Virden for second place with 55 points, two behind Waywayseecappo’s 57 points. OCN sits in third place with 53 points and Swan Valley is now on the outside looking in with 52. Neepawa is starting to fall by the wayside, with 45 points.

The Dauphin Clippers finished second at the Manitoba High School Athletic Association’s curling provincials, this past weekend in The Pas.

The Clippers, consisting of skip Scott Gower, third Stuart Fisher, second Landon Hadway, lead Owen Tyschinski and fifth Kade Glennie, opened the bonspiel with a 7-5 win over the Gimli Lakers.

Dauphin advanced to the A-side semifinals with a 6-4 win over the Beliveau Barracudas of Winnipeg.

The Clippers dropped to the B-side when they were defeated by the Portage Collegiate Trojans, 7-3 in the A-side semifinal.

Dauphin began its sprint to the B-side final with an 11-3 win over the Springfield Sabres and followed this with a 7-0 win over the St. Norbert Celtics.

This set up a rematch with Portage in the B-side final. With the Trojans having already won the A-side, Portage clinched the provincial title with a 12-7 win over the Clippers.

Clippers host hoops tourney

The Clippers senior boys basketball team finished second in the eight-team Clipper Invitational Basketball Tournament, this past weekend.

Dauphin began the tournament with a 104-38 win over the Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre Huskies.

The Clippers then defeated Flin Flon’s Hapnot Kopper Kings, 75-56 to advance to the final where they faced a Gilbert Plains/Grandview co-op team. The Clippers lost a hard-fought contest, 83-76.

The Swan Valley Tigers finished third with an 89-76 win over the Kopper Kings, while the Margaret Barbour Spartans of The Pas won the consolation, with a 91-34 win over the Winnipegosis Lakers. The Ste. Rose Celtics beat the Huskies, 54-27 to finish seventh.

Clippers trail Raiders

The Dauphin Clippers hockey team finds itself trailing the Killarney/Wawanesa Raiders by four points in the race for first place in the Westman High School Hockey League.

Dauphin opened the weekend with a 6-3 win over the REMP Renegades, Friday in Reston.

William Miner scored twice to lead Dauphin to the victory.

Ethan Carnegie, Tyron Sweetman, Logan Chapman and Trayden Guiboche also scored for the Clippers, while Cody Coombs stopped 23 shots to pick up the win in goal, while the Clippers poured 50 shots at the Renegades net.

The Clippers suffered a setback on Sunday when they fell, 8-4 to the Vincent Massey Vikings in Brandon.

Sweetman with two, Guiboche and Jake Kuzmiak scored for Dauphin. Owen Chubka and Joseph Tabin combined to make 30 saves in the loss.

Dauphin has just one game this week when they visit the Glenboro/Carberry/Baldur Wildcats, Wednesday in Glenboro.

The 26-2-0-1 Raiders sit in first place with 53 points, four ahead of the 24-4-1-0 Clippers.

Louis Riel Day celebrations will be taking place throughout the Parkland this coming weekend, hosted by the Northwest Métis Council.

Festivities begin, Friday in Winnipegosis with a barbecue and coffee house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Winnipegosis Youth Centre.

On Saturday, the Ste. Rose Local will host free skating at the Ste. Rose Arena, entertainment and a cribbage tournament from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Ste. Rose Curling Rink.

The Manitoba House Local will host a pancake breakfast from 10 a.m. to noon and a bannock making contest, swoosh races, leg wrestling, baked bean contest and crib tournament at the Kinosota Community Centre from noon to 4 p.m.

The Shell River Local in Boggy Creek will host entertainment and a bingo from noon to 4 p.m. at the Shell River Métis Centre.

The festivities continue on Sunday in Crane River, where the Crane River Local will host a canteen, free merchandise bingo and best dressed Métis attire contest from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Maurice Morrisseau Memorial Hall.

On Louis Riel Day, Fort Dauphin Museum, in partnership with the Northwest Métis Council, will host a day featuring tug of war, a hotdog lunch, snow shoeing, dog sled rides and more from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the museum.

Meanwhile in Roblin, there will be an open mic, as well as entertainment by Tequila Creek, dancing and socializing at the Roblin Life and Arts Centre from noon to 4 p.m., hosted by the Roblin Métis Local.

And in Duck Bay, the Duck Bay Local will play host to entertainment, cribbage and rummy tournaments, a poker derby and ghost riders, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a free stew and bannock dinner at 5 p.m. This all takes place at the Duck Bay Community Hall.

Bowe, 4, and Easton, 2, in the sled, and three-year-old Willow on the slider enjoyed an afternoon of sledding at Barker School hill, Sunday afternoon.

The unseasonal temperatures had many residents out enjoying the great outdoors, whether it was in the city or at the Northgate Trails.

It may be too late to make a difference in the playoff race, but for the first time this season, the Parkland Rangers have won two games in a row.

The two wins came at the expense of the Kenora Thistles and allowed the Rangers to leapfrog the Ontario-based team into 10th place in the standings.

Havryil Simchuk had three goals and Bo Eisner chipped in with a goal and two assists, while Kyler Swanton made 35 saves in a 6-1 Parkland victory on Saturday in Dauphin.

On Sunday in Dauphin, Madden Murray led the way with a goal and two assists, Luke Myhre had three helpers and Swanton was solid once again with 38 saves in a 6-3 triumph.

Rangers head coach Tyler Carefoot said it was a sweet weekend for the team.

“I’m just so happy for the fellas to be able to just feel good about themselves, really,” he said.

Carefoot was not pleased with the team’s play in the first period of Saturday’s game, though.

“I liked our energy, I just didn’t like our puck management. And we kind of tidied that up and then we didn’t really look back,” he said. “Simchuk, although he doesn’t understand us, he kind of took it upon himself (Saturday) night and he was a difference.”

Murray, Carefoot said, stepped up on Sunday to lead the team.

“It’s pleasing. Two in a row, it feels good, for sure,” he added.

For Dauphin’s Swanton, the wins were just his second and third of the season. Although he hasn’t had much success between the pipes this year, he continues to work hard on his game.

“Good for Swanny. Kyler, I thought, deserved the starts back-to-back and played well. I feel great for him. He’s probably the first guy to admit that his season has been up and down, but to put two good quality games like that feels good,” Carefoot said.

Defenceman Ryan Gower of McCreary had a great weekend, picking up an assist on Saturday and scoring a shorthanded goal on Sunday, while skating well in both contests.

“He’s always just very consistent and just a work horse. We can’t say enough about him,” Carefoot said.

The Rangers hope to keep the momentum from these two wins going as they head into a tilt Tuesday night in Dauphin against the Yellowhead Chiefs, who enter the week in sixth place with 46 points, one point back of the Winnipeg Thrashers and four ahead of the Eastman Selects.

On the weekend, Parkland faces the Interlake Lightning, who sit in the eighth and final playoff spot with 37 points as the week begins. They are just one point ahead of the Southwest Cougars.

“We’ll have lots to be fired up about, because if we can prevent them from getting points, that’s a feel-good story. These next few games will be an opportunity to put some wins together and everybody can feel good about themselves,” he said. “But it’s not going to be easy, because we’re facing teams that are battling for playoff seeding. If we keep bringing the work ethic and just execute, I think we’re going to be in a good spot.”

The Dauphin Kings are alone in first place in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s MGEU West Division after a split in a home-and-home with the expansion Niverville Nighthawks over the weekend.

Niverville surprised the Kings, Friday night in Dauphin, scoring a 5-2 victory in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.

Ethan Whillans and Luke Schaefer staked the Nighthawks to a 2-0 lead after the opening frame and they increased their lead to 4-1 after 40 minutes, with Desmond Johnson and Brett Tataryn giving the visitors a 4-0 lead before Jayden Harris put the homeside on the board with his 12th of the season.

The teams traded goals in the third period.

Owen Wareham’s power-play goal midway through the frame, his third of the campaign, brought the Kings to within two, but Johnson sealed the win with his second of the game into an empty net.

Chris Fines was called upon to make 28 saves in the win, while Dmytro Kubritskyi stopped 23 shots in the loss.

Dauphin rebounded in a big way in Sunday’s rematch in Niverville, building a 5-0 lead and hanging on for a 5-2 victory of their own.

Myles Yearwood staked Dauphin to a 1-0 lead in the first period with his eighth of the season.

The Kings increased the lead to 4-0 after two, on goals from Nicholas Hatton, his second, Nolan Wickham’s sixth and Mason Smith with his 11th.

Deepkaran Hans tallied his 12th of the year early in the third before the Nighthawks got on the board with a pair of power-play markers from Hayden Wheddon and Josh Paulhus.

Cole Sheffield was stellar in goal for Dauphin, making 40 saves, while Dane Couture was credited with 27 stops.

At 25-15-2-1, the Kings sit alone in first with 53 points. Waywayseecappo, Swan Valley and OCN are tied with 51 points, while Virden is two points back with 49. Neepawa brings up the rear with 45 points.

This week, the Kings travel to Virden, Tuesday, for a 7:30 p.m. face off, before hosting the Winnipeg Freeze, Friday, and the OCN Blizzard on Saturday. Both games at Credit Union Place get underway at 7:30 p.m.

Kings court:

Kings head coach Doug Hedley enters the week only two wins behind former bench boss Marlin Murray for most coaching wins in team history. If the Kings beat Virden on Tuesday and Winnipeg on Friday, Hedley will have a chance to become the alltime winningest coach in Kings history against OCN on Saturday. Murray finished his tenure as Kings head coach with 348 wins, while Hedley has 346.