The St. Thomas Stars U11 single-A hockey team continues to collect wins, both on the ice and beyond.
“There are no great teams without great teammates,” head coach Shannon Wise said. “As a coaching staff, we wanted to not just have them develop on the ice but also build good humans.”
The Stars currently sit sixth out of nine teams in the competitive Shamrock League as they aim to transition from the Ontario Minor Hockey Association to the Alliance.
But that’s just part of their journey.
St. Thomas has held its ground against top competitors, including first-place South Oxford. In tournaments, the Stars have reached Sunday play every time and made it to the finals of a recent tournament in St. Marys before falling to Lambeth in a shootout.
“It’s not about wins or losses as a coaching staff,” Wise said. “We have seen progression and development not only in terms of individual skill, but also work ethic and camaraderie and getting better and evolving. We have the mindset of never giving up.”
This mentality served the Stars well earlier this season when they lost in the final of their regional Silver Stick qualifier. They still qualified for the international event after an opening became available in the U11 division, where they finished with a 2-2 record against some of North America’s best teams.
The St. Thomas Stars U11 single-A team keeps stacking wins, both on and off the ice. Team members include Renan Da Ponte, Harrison Malpage, Thomas Hitch, Duke Bridges, Ethan Ugarte, Spencer Giza, Caden Adair, Quillan Rogers, Orin Mc Nea, Lachlan Mac Arthur, Ryker Youcke, Bradley Willaert, John Withrow, Liam Brown, Blake Zylstra, Ronin Cruickshank, Jakob Cook, coaches Shannon Wise, Aaron Da Ponte and Greg Mac Arthur and trainer Jesse Mc Nea. (Contributed photo) jpg, ST, apsmc
“Our coaching staff is so proud of the kids’ resiliency and effort and team mentality,” Wise said. “We wanted to represent our association well and prove to everybody we belonged there.
“We’re genuinely thankful to be invited; we showed up ready to play and gave other teams a good run for their money.”
The team made an even bigger impact this season when it donated over 250 items to the St. Thomas Elgin Food Bank. All 17 players were “engaged and dialled in” during a tour of the facility to learn more about community needs and how they can contribute-not just during holidays but throughout the year.
“Donating that is one of many ways we’ve tried to create a connection among teammates off the ice with the greater goal of developing good humans,” Wise said. “The on-ice things-finding out as a coaching staff what motivates each individual player-benefits everyone; but building connections among teammates along with accountability and resilience is really important.”
“At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about.”
cosmith
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