Collectively, the Red River Rage and their seven local teams, from the youngest skaters just learning new skills to teenagers playing at the U16 level, are having great starts to their seasons.
The teams play out of the arenas in Niverville and Ste. Agathe, but the players come from such communities as Niverville, Ste. Agathe, St. Adolphe, Morris, and St. Jean.
The Rage have two U10 teams this year, A and B. The young women on the U10A team are in their second year, and so far they boast an undefeated record—a big turnaround from last year, when despite hard play they had a losing record.
“After a difficult season last year, this team is off to a great start,” says Rage President Jennifer Horne. “Their game is picking up speed and it’s great to see the sportsmanship they are developing.”
The U10B team contains 13 players who are all in their first year. Coached by Matt Exner and Scott Wallace, almost all of these players began in the R4U program in previous years, where they learned about the game and developed their skating skills. This is their first season playing actual games.
“Since our first game in October, our girls have improved by leaps and bounds,” says U10B manager Allison Friesen. “They are learning more with every practice and every game. They show up to the rink with a smile on their faces and are always filled with determination and enthusiasm. Win or lose, these girls are having fun. They are each other’s cheerleaders and best friends, on and off the ice.”
The U10B team is progressing quickly and learning on the fly, playing in both the Eastman and Winnipeg Ringette Leagues. Recently, they returned from their first tournament in Brandon, held November 8–10, where they achieved a 1–2 record. So far they hold a 2–8 record overall.
The Rage also have two teams competing at the U12 level, and both have placed at the top of the league so far. In fact, they ended up playing each other for gold in Brandon last month, with the U12A edging out U12B.
“It has been a strong start for this team and they are continuing to grow and mature in their play,” says Horne of the U12B team. “It is good to see them connect both on and off the ice as players and as friends.”
The U14 squad is a mixed team which includes players from Steinbach and the Red River Rage region. Known as the Southeast Wildcats, they’ve posted a strong start to the season and a record of 4–3, many of which have been very close games. In the Brandon tournament, they lost to Regina in the gold medal match.
“The U16 team is having a great year so far,” says coach Mel Hall. “They are sitting in first place in the Winnipeg Ringette League with an undefeated record… With only ten skaters and a goalie, what the U16s lack in size they definitely make up for with determination and heart.”
The U16 team recently played in the Bonivital Ringette Association tournament in Winnipeg, where they captured the gold medal.
In Brandon, the U16s were the only team registered in their age group, which meant they were upgraded to play against the U19 teams. Despite being matched against older players, they played hard and secured bronze.
“Our girls played so strong, keeping up with the older tier teams!” says coach Julie-Ann Lodge “To date, we have also won all of our Eastman and Winnipeg league games. We have an amazing group of girls being mentored by great coaches, which just adds to a fun season so far.”
The youngest players of all, in the R4U program, are focusing right now on passing and teamwork.
“It is great watching the girls develop their skills this year,” says Horne. “We have a number of new players this year and it is great to see the club continue to grow.”
“It’s heart-warming to see the older kids helping out the younger ones, and making sure everyone has a chance to get a goal,” adds coach Jenn Trinkies.