Avon River Rats finish first season on strong note

By Christy Marsters

The Hants Journal/NovaNewsNow.com

The Avon River Rats Junior C hockey league team ended its inaugural season on a strong note.

The newly formed team made it all the way to the provincial playoffs and finished fourth in the Nova Scotia Junior C league. As well, 22-year-old Nick Stryniak received recognition for being the best goalie in the division.

“Winning the award was a pretty emotional thing and like icing on the cake of a terrific final season,” Stryniak said. “I really enjoyed playing the last of five years in Junior C hockey with the River Rats.”

The social and competitive aspect of hockey teaches life skills, which help to prepare for the real world as those involved make the overall experience fun, Stryniak added. “The whole year was terrific.”

Stryniak is the only graduating player from the River Rats this season. He plans to continue playing recreational hockey while studying chiropractics at a college in New York.

Team president Tim Cochrane says he was very pleased with the successes the team experienced together.

“The team was worth all the hours put in to make things happen,” Cochrane said. “The main goal in forming the group was to give 20 people the chance to play hockey and that was accomplished.

“Once we played that first game, it was worth it to me,” Cochrane said, “seeing the guys come together.”

Team really bonded

Secretary Phil Daniels says in the beginning it was difficult sometimes even to scrounge up enough players for a game, but during a trip to Cape Breton in the middle of December the team really bonded.

It was a hectic game because there was a snowstorm on the way there and at one point it became a tough call to keep going or turn around for home, but the team decided to carry on, Daniels said. “We had no supper and got there just in time to get our gear on and play, but we didn’t even win.”

There was tons of bonding time in the hotel, though, which was nice because there hadn’t been time for a real social event before then and some players didn’t even know other’s names, Daniels said. “Everyone was glad we ended up going.”

Coach Will Brown, working with the Avon River Rats since December, says the team was successful between making the playoffs and playing a couple close games against the provincial champs.

The team’s potential is promising with most players being able to return again next year, Brown noted. “The expansion of the team was quite an accomplishment in itself for the first year.”

Incoming players can take the summer to shine skates and sharpen sticks before training camp and tryouts, which start during the second week of September.