They say all good things come to an end and that sentiment holds true for the MMJHL’s Pembina Valley Twisters after their franchise-record 13-game winning streak was ended on Sunday night. The Twisters are staying firm in second place in the MMJHL’s standings with a record of 21-9-2.
On Jan. 26, the Twisters had their biggest win of the season when they knocked off the first-place St. James Jr. Canucks in a tight 4-3 battle. Kyle Van Deynze led the charge for Pembina Valley with a pair of goals, while Merek Degraeve and Ryan Orchard had the other Twisters’ tallies. Logan Enns stopped 39 shots in net for the win.
“Friday in St. James was as close to a playoff game as you’re going to get right now, with a packed house at the St. James Civic Centre, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Twisters’ head coach Braeden Beernaerts. “The boys played another full sixty-minute effort and never got down when things were not going our way. It was a great total team effort.”
A few nights later at home on Jan. 28, the Twisters’ winning streak was ended in a 4-2 loss to the St. Vital Jr. Victorias. Caelan Russell and Mike Heppner had the goals for Pembina Valley, while Owen LaRocque stopped 21 shots in the Twisters’ goal.
“We had a very good run,” said Beernaerts. “These boys played extremely well over those stretch of games. We knew eventually there was going to be a night where things wouldn’t go our way and we’d come out flat, and against St. Vital was that night. It’s a very good reminder that we can still be beat if we let our foot off the gas.”
Twisters’ sniper Derek Wiebe is currently third in the MMJHL’s scoring race with 54 points in 32 games and Degraeve is in seventh with 51 points in 33 games, while Logan Enns is currently third in the goalie rankings as he boasts a 2.99 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
The Twisters are back in action with a road game on Feb. 2 (7:30 p.m.) against the first place Charleswood Hawks. The following night (Feb. 3) is the Twisters’ CancerCare game at the Morris Multiplex against the Fort Garry/Fort Rouge Twins as the club hopes to raise $20,000. The puck drops at 8:00 p.m.
“CancerCare Night is a very special one for players and coaches as it is something that has touched all of us. It is a night we take very seriously and look forward to the daily games, activities and raising money towards a cure.”
People can donate directly to the CancerCare Twisters’ cause at the link here: https://support.cancercarefdn.mb.ca/site/TR/communityevents/General?team_id=9994&pg=team&fr_id=1913&_
Dale Rempel, the previous owner of Rempel Insurance Brokers, originally inspired the CancerCare Manitoba fundraising event. Dale was an avid sports fan. He loved the game of hockey as a player, Pembina Valley Twisters player, later the team owner, and spectator. CancerCare Manitoba took Dale’s case on when he was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2008.
CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) is the provincial cancer authority responsible for setting strategic priorities and long-term planning for cancer and blood disorders for the province. CCMB provides clinical services to both children and adults. The cancer services the organization provides to Manitobans include prevention, early detection, multidisciplinary cancer treatment, supportive and end-of-life care. CCMB is also responsible for radiation protection throughout the province. In addition, the Research Institute at CCMB investigates all aspects of cancer and blood disorders, including research to improve the patient’s experience while at CCMB.
Dale Rempel, Rempel Insurance and the Twister hockey club wanted to recognize the efforts of CancerCare Manitoba by giving back to the organization that provided support to the Rempel family. While Dale passed away in 2012, the fundraiser and beloved sport of hockey continue to team up and raise awareness and support for the cause.
The fundraising activities are now an annual event. Hockey teams in surrounding communities coordinate their games with fundraising activities. The Pembina Valley Twisters of MMJHL, the Red River Wild of CSHL, Red River Mudbugs of HTJHL, Mavericks from Morris High School and the Town of Morris have joined forces to hold a Cancer Care Manitoba Fundraiser.
Photos by Lana Meier/Voice
