B4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 30, 2002

TERRACE STANDARD

638-7283

Spirit Riders gunning for gold ©

BY SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN
THEY'VE only been playing together
as a team for Iwo years, but the Ter-
race Nisga’a Spirit Riders have a very
real shot at making it to the finals of
Feb. 3-9’s All Native Basketball Tour-
nament.

Last year the Spirit Riders clinched
second spot at the Prince Rupert tour-
nament — not bad for a young, deve-
loping team.

“They are getling pretty well this
year,” says coach Kevin Nisyok,.
“They might be a little better than last
year.”

The locals made a name for them-
selves during the 2001 season for
being scrappy and aggressive,

Though that hasn’t changed, Nisyok
says the women are learning how to
channel their energy into other paris of
the game in order to cul down on fouls.

“They don’! realize how aggressive
they play, thal’s just the way they
are,” Nisyok says. “I’m drilling into
them that when we press I don’t want
fouls and they’ve shown me that they
can play and control themselves.”

Though the Spirit Riders are only in
their second year, the women have
been playing basketball most of their
lives.

Three of the players are sisters and
many of the women have been friends
and teammates for a long time.

It’s part of the reason they’ve been
so successful so soon. This season
Kevin Nisyok is focussing on develop-
ing that teamwork to a higher level.

“I told them, ‘for you guys to be
successful this year, you have to play

When
asked
who is
playing a
dominant
tole on
this
year’s
squad,
the young
coach
doesn’t
miss a
beat.

ii3 H 5 I d
prefer the
whole
team to
play the
dominant
role,” he
says.

He says though he has a starting

Kevin Nisyok

“I’m drilling into them
that when they press !
don’t want fouls and
they’ve shown me that
they can play and control
themselves.”

line up, the subs this year play an
equally important rote.

“They just basically do what the
starting five do, but quicker because
they’re a little more rested and hyped
to get in there,” he says.

The Spirit Riders’ style of ball has
changed this year as well.

The team is incorporating less set

THE Spitit Riders: Back row: Yvonne Stewart, Auth Robinson, Toni Nisyok. Front r row: Loretta Stewart, man-
ager, Pam Campbell, Amanda Campbell, Diane Shanoss. Missing: Diane Therrien and Yvonne Campbell

plays and doing more of what Nisyok
calls “freestyle” basketball.

The women are passing more, tak-
ing quicker, open shots and leaming to
work together to free each other up.

So far it seems to be working and

Kevin Nisyok is sure the women will
do well at next week’s tournament.
“Last year our main goal was to go
down and establish ourselves,” says
Nisyok about the All Native Tourna-
ment. “And the next year we'll build

on that and hopefully take it to the
next level.”

After last year’s second place finish
at the prestigious annual tournament,
the “next level” could well translate
into a first place finish.

together’,” Nisyok says.

By SARAH A.
ZIMMERMAN
FROM BASKETBALL to
cribbage and swimming to
hockey, the Northern B.C.
Winter Games are bound
to showcase some of the
best athletes the north has

to offer.

Several athletes from
the Terrace area are taking
part in a variety of sports.

Here’s a rundown of
who’s making the trip to
Smithers Feb. 1-3 to repre-
sent our city.

Mixed Volleyball

The Terrace Wolves are
on the prowl far victory.

The team is made.up of
a core group of volleyball
enthusiasts who’ve played
together for a long time.

“We're really looking
forward to going,” said
team member. Mark Neid.
“Most of us have been
playing together for quite a
few years off and on.”

The team consists of
those who play in the in-
ter-city mixed volleyball
league and they’ve picked
up a few extras as well.

Neid brothers Mark and
ap, Bruce are sure to be seen
Me at the net as setters and
heavy hitters.

The team is hoping to
place near the top of the
pack in Smithers next
week-end.

Peewee Hockey

The team of 12 and 13
year old hockey players

was selected from four
Peewee house teams here.

Len Froese, a member
of.the coaching staff,-said
try-outs were held and
final cuts were hard to
make.

“This year there seems
to be some really good ta-
lent in Terrace,” he said.
“The selection process this
year was really hard.”

Players were chosen
based on everything from
skill ta the ability to work
with others, Froese said.

The team’s had a few
chances to play in tourna-
meats and games against
other teams around the
northwest and it looks tike
competition in Smithers is
going to be close.

“It'll be really good
hockey in Smithers,”
Froese said.

Swimming

The Terrace Bluebacks
are thrilled to be taking
part in this year's games.

The Kitimat-Stikine re-
gion is limited to 12 spots
at the games which means
Terrace could only register
six swimmers, with the Ki-
timat Marlins filling in the
other spots.

“Everybody wants to
£0,” said coach Mike Car-
lyle.

The selection process
came down to which kids
have the best attendance
at practices.

“The Northern B.C.
Games is very much a re-

Going to

the

ward meet,” Carlyle said.
“So the kids that are in the
water the most get ta be
rewarded.”

Carlyie added many
swimmers on his wait list
are just as deserving of
participating. He's hoping
some extra spots might
open up allowing more
Bluebacks to take part.

“Usually with some-
thing that much fun the
kid’ll ride the wave and
have some good perfor-
mances too,” Carlyle said.

Gymnastics:

The Terrace Peaks have
been in training since Au-
gust getting ready for the
2002 compelitive season.

The winter pames are
the first competition of the
season for the team. The
Peaks are sending 10 girls
and four boys.

For two of the gymnasts
Ashley Pelletier, 7, and
Kayla Brinkac, 8, it’s their
first competitive meet,

. “They are very exci-
ted,” said club spokesper-
son Lori Schulmeister. “I

games

THE Terrace Wolves mixed volleyball team are on
the prowl for top spot in Smithers.

watched them the other Schulmeister said the
day and it’s amazing to girls should place quite
watch, they are just doing well, particularly in the
fantastic.” floor exercise.

“It’s the floor routines
where you really see the
personality and expres-
sion,’ “she said. |

’ Wrestling:

The Terrace wrestling
club is gearing up for some
extra competition at the
northern games this week-
end.

Usually the club com-
petes strictly within their
zone against teams from
Prince Rupert, Smithers
and Hazelton.

Community coach Lak
Jaswal said the games will
provide valuable exper-
ience wrestling against
teams from Prince George
and Vanderhoof as well.

Fifteen wrestlers from
the Terrace area are sche-
duled to take part.

“They’ve been looking
forward to it for a while
now,” Jaswal said.

Masters Basketball

The Terrace men’s
masters basketball team
embodies the essence of
the winter games,

Playing for love of the
sport and the spirit of com-
petition, Terrace’s squad is

hyped to go.
Having played in sev-
eral previous winter

pames, the team is fami-
liar with the competition.

Team member Andrew
Ruygrok says it looks like
Williams Lake will pro-
vide the stiffest competi-
tion having won top spot in
past years.

But this year’s games
will be bittersweet.
The team started up six

_ years ago when a man

named Doug McKay ‘deci-
ded the group ought’ to
form a team.

“He was the one that
got us off the couch and
shooting hoops again,”
says guard Andrew .Ruy-
grok,

Doug McKay passed
away last summer and this
year his memory will pro-
vide a litile extra inspira-
tion for the men.

Badminton:

Ron Julseth, Andrew
Blix, Melodie Julseth,
Karen Resch are heading
east to Smithers to play
badminton in the adult
competition.

They'll be playing sin-
gles, doubles and mixed
competitions.

Fifteen-year old rookie
Richard Payjack is also
joining the team playing in
the junior division.

And Terrace’s Diane
Cey is also going to the .
games, She’s been picked
up by the Smithers team
who were short on players.

Trap Shooting:

Danny O’Brien and
George Munson are taking
aim at this year’s games.

The two men are repre-
senting Terrace to deter-
mine who is the best shot
as they compete in the
trap shooting competition
in Smithers. '

Cal's girls go to the

extreme at tourney

IT CAME DOWN to the wire in the final at the

Extreme 2 basketball tournament last weekend.
After two days of play the Caledonia Kermades

met the Vanderhoof Viqueens in what turned out to

be a very close game.

The Kermodes were up to a challenge facing

the feisty Viqueens.

The Vanderhoof squad made a name for them-
selves early in the tournament by bringing out an
arsenal of three point shots that hit the basket with

disturbing regularity.

The entire final game was a tight, back and
forth affair that rarely saw either team come out in

front by more than six points,

But with less than five minutes remaining the
Viqueens fouls piled up enough to give the Ker-
modes a couple bonus shots giving the home town

team and tournament hosts some insurance.

As the clock ticked down it was obvious Van-
derhoof would not be able to defeat the Kermodes.
Caledonia won this one 62-55, earning the Ex.

treme 2 tournament title.

-meelings between

Team Blue hedges Red for second spot in standings

MIDGET HOUSE
Hockey continued
with Week 15 ac-
tion Jan.uary 21,
with Team Blue
squaring off
against Team Red
in the Monday
night match-up.
Most of the

these two teams
this season have
been high-scoring
affairs, and this
one in Week 15
was no different,

The only goal of the first period was from
Blue's Devon Mercer at 4:43. In the second,
Red tied it up on Kelly Steel’s first goal of the
season, at the 8:29 mark.

Team Blue took the lead again at 6:19 ona
Toby Mitchell marker, but at 1:01, Team Red
scored, with Jon Sarsiat picking up his 23rd of
the season. After 2 periods, the score was 2-2.

‘AT THE ARENA:
TYLER NOBLE

Blue started to pull away in the third. Eric
Hull scored at 18:28, and Chris Schlenker got
one at 17:29, Red responded at 15:32 on a
Tyler Sheasby marker to narrow the gap to 4-3.

But, Blue pulled away some more with
goals from Kristian Gough and Eric Hull, at
14:10 and 12:09. The score was now 6-3.

Nevertheless, Feam Red didn’t quit and at
11:18 it was Hesten Sturko making the score
6-4, But that’s as close as Red would pet.

Eric Eide and Devon Mercer posted a goal

each for Blue, while Shawn Barg scored for

Red late in the period, as Team Blue took the
game 8-5.

Team Red returned to the ice for a Tuesday
night match up against Team White. White
got out on top early, with Dan Matthews pick-
ing up goals at 11:34 and 9:02 of the first,

Red got on the board at the 1:31 mark'on a
goal from Tyler Sheasby. In the second, both
teams added a goal cach to make the score 3-
2 after Iwo periods,

The third saw Ken Eyjolfson pick up two
goals for Team White as well, coming at the
16:18 and 13:02 marks. Then, with 8:49 to go,

Dan Matthews scored to pick up a hat
trick. Each team added a goal in the late
stages as White dumped Red 7-3. Team
White’s Tyler Noble picked up a pair of goals
in the winning cause.

The Thursday night game saw Blue shutout
White 4-0, Eric Eide scored twice, with Devon -
Mercer and Chris Schlenker picking up the
other goals for Team Blue. Team White was
missing several key players, including Tysen
Leblond and Ken Eyjolfson.

With a pair of victories in Week 15, Team
Biue moved into sole possession of second
place, trailing Team White by four
points. Team Red slipped a bit this week, now
sitting four points behind Blue and eight back
of White. Each team has 10 games (5 weeks)
remaining before the playoffs get on March 4.

Midget House Hockey games go at the Ter-
race Arena Mondays and Thursdays at 9:15
p.m. and Tuesdays at 7:45 p.m. ao

Player of the Week: Team White forward
Dan Matthews with three goals and’.a-
strong performance against Teami Red on Jane.
uary 22. 7