Taryn Kotchorek raises the ACAC Championship trophy surrounded by celebrating teammates. (Submitted photo/Taryn Kotchorek)

By Martin Martinson

Battlefords local shines

Former North Star, Kotchorek wins ACAC Championship with NAIT

Mar 29, 2022 | 5:00 PM

North Battleford’s Taryn Kotchorek will need to find room on his mantle for another hockey achievement, after his NAIT Ooks took home a 3-0 series sweep of Concordia University over the weekend en route to their first ACAC Championship since back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016.

An already well-decorated goaltender from his junior hockey days with the Battlefords North Stars; he backstopped the team to a Canalta Cup Championship in 2017 while also taking home SJHL Best Goals-Against Average and Save Percentage honours, the not-yet 25-year-old can now add ‘ACAC Champion’ to his resume as well.

Kotchorek drinks from the cup in the championship postgame celebration. (Submitted photo/Taryn Kotchorek)

“It really means a lot,” Kotchorek said of the championship. “It was such a fun series and playoff run as well, and it’s something I – and we’ve – been working really hard for the past two years. There was a lot of [veteran] guys on our team who were really deserving of it so I’m really happy they got to experience that in their last season as well, and I think just for the team, the school and everyone involved it means a lot and has been a long time coming.”

The league title comes in Kotchorek’s second official season with the team, but first with games after last year was limited to strictly practices due to the pandemic. Kotchorek said right from day one of the season following their return to play this fall, the team had a belief they could accomplish something special together.

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“From last year to this year we didn’t lose many guys, and really right from the get-go when we started skating again we had a lot of guys who could put the puck in the net with four [strong] lines and six defenceman who can play big minutes,” he said. “We had a lot of fourth- and fifth-year guys who were experienced and previous team captains from their junior teams. I think guys just realized that not too long into the season we could really get this done.”

The NAIT Ooks team pose for a team picture to commemorate the championship. (Submitted photo/Taryn Kotchorek)

As an added benefit to winning their Finals series in three-straight games, the Ooks were also able to clinch the title on home ice, which Kotchorek said only added another special element to the celebration post-game, with family and friends in attendance.

“I had my parents there, had some family and some friends down for the weekend as well, and it was really cool just to be able to come right off the ice and give them big hugs right after the game,” Kotchorek said. “They’ve always been big supporters of me, so it was really nice having them there to experience that.”

The league title wraps a college hockey season to remember for NAIT, who finished the regular season 15-1, including seven-straight victories heading into the playoffs. Coming off a first-round bye, the team then went on to defeat Briercrest College 2-games-to-1 in their best-of-three semifinal series, and Concordia 3-0 in their best-of-five Final.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1