Boys U14 Tier 2 Capitals Win Bronze
After a somewhat shaky start to the season, the Fredericton YMCA Capitals U14 Tier 2 boys found their groove, winning 13 of their last 17 games and capturing a bronze medal at the U14 Division 4 provincials.
At provincials, the Caps defeated the Sackville Titans and Fundy Force in round-robin play, to finish first in their pool. After a difficult loss to the Miramichi Pulamoo in the semi-finals, the team responded well and played an excellent game against Fundy to secure the bronze medal. Noah Versloot was named the team's Most Valuable Player for the tournament, posting totals of 42 points and 12 steals over the course of the four games. Aydon Stairs also had an outstanding weekend, adding 47 points and grabbing 28 rebounds. Matt Gillis was selected as the team's recipient of the Sixth Man Award, providing excellent defence, ballhandling and leadership off the bench. Alex Brannen was chosen as Most Sportsmanlike Player.
A major highlight of the Capitals' season was winning a gold medal at the Bantam Winter Invitational Tournament, hosted in Fredericton in January. The Caps reached the finals by going undefeated in round-robin play against the NMBA Tier 2 Lions, the River Valley Rush, the Fundy Force and the Bath Monquarters. They then edged the Lions, 45-37, in a hard-fought championship game. In addition to strong defensive play, one of the biggest keys to the Caps' success was their balanced scoring attack. In all four round-robin games, at least ten of the eleven players in uniform hit the scoresheet. Over the course of the tournament, Noah Versloot and Aydon Stairs led the way with 37 and 36 points, respectively. Liam Hodder, Caleb Abernethy, Noah Boudreau, Lukas Hayes, and Isaac Fleming each added at least 20 points over the weekend. On the glass, Aydon Stairs, Lukas Hayes and Noah Versloot each grabbed at least 25 rebounds.
The Capitals' coaches were very proud of the players' performances this year, of their steady improvement over the course of the season, and of the fine way in which they represented the Capitals club. Thanks to all of the players and their families for an excellent season!
Team photo:
Standing (L-R): Coach Dallas Gillis, Coach Sean Seeley, Aydon Stairs, Noah Versloot, Lukas Hayes, Isaac Fleming, Caleb Abernethy, Coach Michael Fleming
Kneeling (L-R): Evan Critch, Alex Brannen, Yousef Khairalla, Matt Gillis, Noah Boudreau, Bryan Seeley, Liam Hodder
