SILVER BLAZERS

At the 2023 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, Team Manitoba captain Ella Stewner and her mates suffered a heartbreaking loss. Leading 1-0 with less than 10 minutes to play in regulation time in the gold medal game, Team Ontario scored two power-play goals to beat Team Manitoba 2-1 and claim the Turtle Island. For Manitoba, a team that boasted four Balmoral Hall Blazers players plus two BH grads as coaches, the loss was devastating. Especially considering three of Manitoba’s BH stars – Stewner and the Misner sisters, Anya and Linnea – won gold in 2022 in Membertou, N.S. "Coming off a win last year and being in the same situation this year, it’s especially hard after leading for more than 2 1⁄2 periods,” said Stewner, holding back a tear after the heartbreaking loss in the final. “But I have no doubt the girls will get it next year in Grand Prairie.” Manitoba had played a tremendous tournament and the BH players were among the best in the country. Joining Stewner and the Misner sisters on this year’s team were young Braya Kapusta and assistant coaches Katie Bassett and Keyanna Lea. “We had a really good team with a lot of depth this year and a really great group of girls,” said Stewner, who has committed to playing at the University of Alberta next season. “To lose in the final doesn’t reflect the success we had throughout the tournament. “Obviously, it was great to have four BH girls on the team. We had five last year and so, it’s really nice to play with people you already have chemistry with, you already know where they’re going to be, you can rely on them in certain situations and my defence partner (Linnea Misner) is one of my best friends so, I wouldn’t trade it.” Stewner was quite appreciative of the coaching help she and her teammates received, not only from head coach Dale Bear but from the two BH grads who were the team’s assistant coaches – Bassett and Lea. “It was nice to have them with us,” said Stewner. “We had Keyanna and Katie as coaches and while we never had the chance to play with them, they’re great role models and leaders. They were very supportive of us and I became really close with those girls even though we’ve never played together. They were great leaders for us.” Not only were BH players – past and present -- represented on the ice and behind the bench, but they were also out in full force in the stands. Graduates Dana Goertzen, now playing at the University of Manitoba, Kennesha Miswaggon, now at UBC, and Oceane Asham, now at NCAA D-1 Minnesota State University-Mankato, were among the first supporters on the ice after the game to console and congratulate the players for their silver medal-winning efforts. “I think all of our Grade 11s from this year and some alumni from last year came out to support us, as well,” said Stewner. “It’s a really great feeling to have some family and friends here and knowing that they were here, I think that helped us play really well.”