Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Marcel Vander Wier

HOT START – Gwich’in Spitfires goalie Josh Tetlichi, right, keeps his eye on the puck during last month’s Yukon Native Hockey Tournament, while teammate and captain Davina McLeod (17) helps defend. Both are playing for Team North at the 2015 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Halifax this week.

Tetlichi shuts door on Quebec as Team North wins 4-0

Yukon goaltender Josh Tetlichi stopped 30-plus shots as Team North got off to a spectacular start in Halifax yesterday.

By Marcel Vander Wier on April 28, 2015

Yukon goaltender Josh Tetlichi stopped 30-plus shots as Team North got off to a spectacular start in Halifax yesterday.

Tetlichi is one of seven male Yukon hockey players at the 2015 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) being held in the Nova Scotia capital this week.

Sixteen teams are competing in the U-18 midget-level tournament.

Tetlichi turned in a perfect performance to lead Team North to a 4-0 win over Quebec-based Team Eastern Door and North. The goalie was named player of the game.

“The boys just put it all together,” Team North manager Derek Squirrel told the Star. “They went out and played awesome.”

Kole Comin and Jonas Leas both scored goals in the win. The two are playing on a line with Haines Junction’s Dylan McQuaig.

N.W.T.’s Zach Zorn had the other two goals in the victory.

The group has strong representation from all three territories.

Defensively, Tetlichi kept his team in it early.

“He took probably 30 or 40 shots and he was unbelievable,” said Squirrel.

“He could steal the show this week. If he plays the way he played (Monday) and keeps that up all week, he could be taking us to a medal for sure.”

Other Yukoners playing for the male team are Kaine Comin, Bohdi Elias and Dustyn Phelps-VanBibber, while Wade Comin is serving as an assistant coach.

The team spent three days prior to the tournament taking part in an up-tempo training camp followed by an exhibition game versus Team Atlantic.

“This is the first time a lot of them skated together,” said Squirrel.

Prior to the first game, Hall of Fame defenceman Paul Coffey dropped by the boys dressing room to share some words of wisdom.

This morning, the boys dropped their second game of the tournament by a score of 5-2 to British Columbia.

Squirrel said the team was formed after some heavy scouting of both the Arctic Winter Games and Canada Winter Games.

“Anything can happen,” he said of the team’s potential. “They’re just going to get stronger and stronger as the week goes on. We could be going to a medal.”

Five Yukon female players are also competing at the event with Team North’s women’s squad.

Players representing the territory include Mikaila Blanchard, Adrianne Dewhurst, Monica Johnson, and siblings Maya Oakley and Sierra Oakley.

Davina McLeod of Aklavik, N.W.T., is also part of the team.

She netted the only goal in yesterday’s opening 8-1 loss to Manitoba, with an assist by Sierra Oakley.

Goalie Maya Oakley was peppered with shots all game long.

The team lost their second game this morning, 5-0 to Saskatchewan, but hopes for a strong finish remain high.

“Out of the three years I’ve been coaching, I think we definitely have the strongest female team,” said assistant coach Candice MacEachen.

“We have a lot of great athletes. When they work together, we had lots of compliments on how fast they were.

“Hopefully as the week goes on, they click more and the results start to show.”

Games are being played at the BMO Centre in Bedford and the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

The championship finals will take place on Saturday.

Saskatchewan is the defending champion in both the male and female divisions.

Comments (1)

Up 4 Down 0

Frankie on Apr 28, 2015 at 4:14 pm

Keep it up, boys.

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