Whitehorse boxer Roan Evans-Ehricht refuses to lose.

The 18-year-old pushed his career record to 7-1 with a unanimous decision over Nathan McIlwraith from Medicine Hat, Alta., in Edmonton Saturday night.

The win earned him a gold medal in the -81 kilogram category – his first at the Silver Gloves level.

“This time I only had one opponent,” Evans-Ehricht said of his latest route to gold.

“It was pretty low key.”

The Yukoner said he was most impressed with his mental strength and focus, as he attended the tournament by himself and without his regular coach, Jess Staffen.

“I didn’t have anybody in my corner, but I was still able to get in the zone,” Evans-Ehricht said. “That was a big deal for me.”

The last fight Evans-Ehricht attended on his own was in Lac La Biche, Alta., and resulted in the only blemish on his career record.

Sylvio Fex, an Alberta provincial coach who has a good relationship with the Yukon club, provided support to Evans-Ehricht during Saturday’s fight.

McIlwraith, 17, was reportedly unbeaten before his marquee match against the Yukoner.

However, his attempts to put Evans-Ehricht off balance were effectively thwarted by the F.H. Collins Secondary School student.

“His style was Ali-like,” Evans-Ehricht told the Star. “He was bigger than me and tried to stay far away. I stayed contained and tight and was able to pick my spots.

“It was pretty clear that I won. I don’t shy down from anybody and because of that, the results seem to favour me.”

“He did fantastic,” said Staffen. “We had him working on ring control – moving forward and taking control of the ring, working angles and boxing smart.

“From watching the video, that’s exactly what he did. He stuck to the gameplan.

“He stayed nice and calm and relaxed, and just really took control,” Staffen said of his star pupil.

The medal is Evans-Ehricht’s first at the Silver Gloves level. He previously won gold twice at Bronze Gloves tournaments in Alberta.

Now, Evans-Ehricht plans to take his talents to the Gold Gloves level.

He and Staffen are planning a trip to Calgary later this month, where the young boxer would move up to the open category.

Gold Gloves is usually meant for boxers with more than 10 bouts under their belts, but Evans-Ehricht hopes to fast-track his way there.

“Because his win at Silver was so decisive, it’s really opened the door,” Staffen said.

“Roan has a lot of natural talent, but he also does a lot of his own research. He’s constantly watching videos, reading. He’s really thrown himself into the sport.”

Evans-Ehricht’s emergence on the boxing scene has helped boost the sport’s popularity in the territory, Staffen said.