Braves, Warriors, and Chiefs best

Times Reporter   

 

The Wheatland Athletic Association hosted their awards night from this year’s hockey season on April 4, honouring the peewee Braves, the bantam Warriors, and midget Chiefs, with many multiple winners.

The Braves’ Tarun Fizer was named team MVP. He was also awarded top scorer after earning 52 points in 36 games, finishing in the league’s Top 20. Fizer’s coach Keith Klemmensen mentioned he was one of his most consistent players.

“Amongst the forwards, he would have been the highest level guy we had at that position,” Klemmensen said.

Cole Clayton, bantam MVP, was also named top defenseman. Coach Mark Laycock spoke of his ability to do a little bit of everything on the ice: “He’s a strong defender and has an ability offensively that’s pretty tough to teach – it just comes natural to him. He’s good at being able to take over a game from the back end sometimes, which is a big key.”

Clayton’s teammate Ryan Bell was given the Kletzel Memorial Award for the Warriors – for the second year in a row.

“It goes to a guy that’s a leader, and is a good sport – the guy on your team that everybody looks to lead by example,” Laycock said. “He’s the type of kid that coaches just love to have on their team. He’s the definition of a leader and a good quality kid.”

For the peewee Braves, Connor Bertamini received the Kletzel Award, for being an on-ice and off-ice leader, always delivering his best.

“He takes constructive criticism as it is met, which is to help with mistakes,” Klemmensen said of Bertamini. “He understands that patience runs short sometimes with people – if news isn’t delivered in a sugar-coated way, he gets it, he’s a tough kid. I don’t think I can recall a time in two years when he was lazy – he was maybe nervous, but he was never lazy.”

Coltyn Herman, top scorer for the midget Chiefs with 47 points in 32 games, was also named Most Sportsmanlike. Teammate Cody Willis took home the Exemplary Player Award.

“An award means a lot to a kid,” Laycock said. “I remember winning a few awards when I was younger, and it makes you feel pretty good that you had a successful season.”