ACAC Men’s Hockey Finals rich with North Stars alumni

“Just looking at our lineup I think we knew right from the very start of the year we had a good opportunity to compete for a championship,” McNinch said. “We have a great team with lots of good players, and lots of good leaders, so it’s been exciting.”

Esau, who also scored 14 points (6G, 8A) in 22 games as a freshman with RDP this season, made the playoffs each of his four seasons in the Battlefords, prior to making the jump to the collegiate level this year.

He said the postseason experience gained from his time in the SJHL has helped ease the transition to the high intensity of his first college playoff run.

“I feel like that experience from the playoffs in junior definitely helps,” Esau said. “Going into this year I kind of knew what to expect coming into playoff hockey, and I just feel extremely comfortable playing in the playoffs because of that experience with the North Stars in junior.”

Kings’ veteran Regan Doig is one of just a handful of players on the RDP roster with at least three years of college hockey experience, on an otherwise youthful squad. He said having been part of a number of strong Kings’ teams in recent years, it means a lot to break through to the finals this season for a shot at the championship.

“My first year, I think we probably would have won without the COVID shutdown, and then [following the lost ’21 season], my third year we had a good team but it just didn’t work out for us. This year with everything that’s happened, it’s been a fun run, and now we have a chance to make it even better. If we can win three of the next five we’ll get to lift the trophy over our heads.”

For NAIT, this marks the school’s 10^th straight season in the league championship series, having won four titles since 2013. Kotchorek, who won last year with the team, said it’s special to have a shot at repeating as champs this year, following plenty of roster turnover from last season’s championship team.

“This season was a little bit tougher for us as we lost 13 or 14 players from the championship run last year, so all season we were just kind of middle of the pack, but we’re really clicking at the right time,” he said.

“Just being able to send NAIT back to a championship for the 10^th consecutive year is pretty amazing, and I just couldn’t be more proud of the group for getting to where we are now.”

Kotchorek, who split the regular season starting load with fellow SJHL alumni, Ryley Osland (N.D. Hounds), posted a 3.27 goals against average and .898 save percentage in 13 games this season.

Currently in his third year with the team, and fifth in the ACAC as a veteran of the college ranks at 25, he said he’s just tried to lean on his experience to help his team however he can.

“I think just having had a Cup run in the Battlefords and then a Cup run with NAIT last year, having that playoff experience is key,” the North Battleford product said; adding that he’s looking forward to getting the finals series underway, and making the most of the opportunity to repeat.

“Back in the Battlefords, we won in ’16-17, but then going into my 20-year-old year we weren’t able to get the repeat to finish out my junior career,” he said. “Now I have a chance to finish my college career with back-to-back championships, so I don’t want to let the opportunity slip.”

Game 1 of the ACAC Final will be played Friday night at 7 p.m. at Red Deer Polytechnic. A best-of-five series, Game 2 will switch venues Saturday, fo a 6 p.m. puck drop at NAIT.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

ACAC Men’s Hockey Finals rich with North Stars alumni

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