North Stars shooting for U18 title
The Niagara North Stars U18 AAA head into the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) championship weekend in Clarington with high expectations.
The North Stars take on Guelph Friday at 1 p.m. to kick off their schedule and head coach Brody Kritsch can’t wait to get started.
“Words can’t describe the feeling,” Kritsch said. “It’s why you coach.”
Stars captain James Lindsay is also champing at the bit to get going.
“I’m so excited,” the 18-year-old, Grade 12 student at Sir Winston Churchill said. “Last time I went (U15), going into it, our team didn’t really have a shot, but this year we have a great goalie, great defence. We score a lot of goals, so I really think have a chance to win it all.”
The North Stars finished in fourth place during the regular season but had success at the tournament level and then went 5-2-1 in the local playoffs to advance to the OMHAs.
Kritsch said he had an inkling this could be a special group from Day 1.
“I really went after character this year and guys that were competitive, guys that I could push in the summer, guys that were hungry,” he said. “We had our first showcase in Waterloo and they were executing some O-zone stuff that kind of blew me away with the puck movement.”
As proud as Kritsch is of his team’s on-ice play, he’s even more enthralled with their conduct away from the rink and the relationship they have cultivated with the North Stars U14 club.
“My smile says it all,” he said. “I’m proud, I’m grateful, I’m excited, but yes, I’ve never been so proud in my life.
“Our biggest victory was our bond that we’ve grown with the 2014s. They came to our alumni night and they watched our game and then they just cheered us on. Our boys enjoyed it.”
U18 assistant coach Steve Poirier, who also coaches with the U14 squad, then arranged a practice with the teams.
“We brought them out to the practice on Saturday. And the way my guys interacted with them, encouraged them, taught them, and the way the 2014s looked at them with the big eyes was amazing,” Kritsch said.
The U18 team then surprised the U14s by coming to one of their games recently, forming a tunnel for them on the way out to the ice and offering encouragement.
“That right here was the biggest victory of the season for us and just speaks to our team,” Kritsch said. “That’s our team and that’s why we’re going to compete for a red hat (at OMHAs).”
Lindsay said the older players enjoy interacting with the younger skaters.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “It makes you feel so connected as a group and as a community. You know all the little kids look up to you, you kind of feel like you’re a hot shot when you’re with all the guys.
“It’s awesome having those kids cheering for us and we go cheer for them because I know it means the world to them and it means the world to us having them in our crew.”
The U18 team did face some adversity this year with three season-ending injuries.
“That dressing room right behind us and the love for each other, they would always be ready for each other, Kritsch said. “We’ve been a next man up mentality. We found one guy at Denis Morris and signed him up after Christmas and he fit in seamlessly.”
Lindsay has been entrusted with keeping things on track in the room.
“If stuff gets out of hand, I just try and settle the boys down. But they’re a pretty good group. We’re usually bonding pretty closely every day,” he said. “It makes it so much easier when they’re willing to buy in and do what we want and be a team. It makes it so much easier to do my job.”
The North Stars are in a bracket with Guelph, Barrie and North Shores. Four teams from two divisions advance to the playoff round Sunday morning with the championship Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Members of the team are: Connor Bolibruck, Hudson Brens, Carson Casasanta, Jackson Curran, David Greene, Ryan Higgins, Aden Isreal, James Lindsay, Luka Lipinski, Zach Lowe, Reece Matier, Patrick O’Farrell, Lucas Joseph Panucci, Jamie Picard, Easton Poirier, Joshuwa Savoie, Anthony Sica, Brayden Steele, Alexander Trivieri, Gavin Vamplew, Gavin Tomczuk, Simon Sciarra (AP), Billy Condos (AP).
Coaching staff: Head coach Brody Kritsch. Assistants Justin Brack, Daniel Cukierski, Terry O’Farrell, Steve Poirier. Trainer Mike Bolibruck.
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