Westwood Warriors getting ready for what hopes to be a long playoff run
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Westwood Warriors are getting ready for what hopes to be a long playoff run.
The season has been an extremely competitive one for us as we have experienced ebbs and flows throughout the year. This speaks to the parody in the league as any team can beat any team on any given night. It was also a challenging year dealing with the issues the pandemic has caused. Due to injuries and illnesses, on numerous occasions the Warriors played with only 12 or 13 skaters. The boys always seemed to find a way to be successful when faced with adversity. The Warriors finished (insert placement here) and will get a week off while the teams that finished 7th through 10th compete for the 7th and 8th seeds in a best of three series.
Some of the highlights throughout the regular season include a win over rival Sturgeon Heights, a couple of shutouts by Nigel Taylor, and five Warriors were selected to the WHSHL All Star game. These players are Tristen Arnason, Campbell Epp, Magnum Grindle, Matt Smith, and goaltender Evan Kozak. The All-Star game has been postponed until after the season because of the restrictions put in place by the province. These players are deserving of their recognition, and will proudly represent the school.
With the strong regular season, the team has had, they are not satisfied and are looking to make noise in the playoffs. The four graduating players are hopeful of competing for a league championship and a possibility of competing in the provincials. Captain Vito Gigliotti, Matt Smith, Magnum Grindle, and Jaxx England are all in their final year and would love nothing more than to cap off their high school career with a championship.
Grindle was quoted as saying, “We have a solid group of guys on our team. I think when we are playing our best, we can compete with anyone.”
For the team to have success, they will need solid performances from the three-headed monster they have on defence. Matt Smith, Jarrett Ross, and Carson Salamacha are crucial for any success the Warriors have in the post season. They have played many crucial minutes this year. Offensively, the first two lines have provided scoring and the third line creates a lot of energy with their work ethic.
My main message to the boys is to enjoy the process. You can’t look ahead at the final goal of winning it all, but rather be present and enjoy the ride. Embrace the battle and strenuous work that it is going to take each game. If we commit to this, the results will usually work in our favour. Playoffs are the best time of the season for any athlete so just relish it and put your best effort forward.
No matter who the Warriors face in the playoffs, it will be a battle and we are looking forward to the challenge.
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