By Marc Zienkiewicz (The Leader)
Friday February 22, 2008

The Blues are finished for the season after losing to the Selkirk Rivermen last week.   Photo by Marc Zienkiewicz

Last fall, Lac du Bonnet Blues manager Curtis Dancyt told the Leader the upcoming hockey season was going to be “a challenge” for the team.

He was right.

The Blues are now officially out of the Manitoba East Hockey League (MEHL) playoffs after losing three games to none to the Selkirk Rivermen last week.

The Blues travelled to Selkirk Feb. 13 where they lost 9-3 to the Rivermen. LdB’s Brian Ferguson (two goals) and Tyler Tease scored the team’s only goals of the game. Selkirk’s nine goals came courtesy of Kevin Pleskach (2), Rob Allison, Carver Dowhan, Chris Loschiavo (2), Les Forgala, Tyler Henry and Don McIntosh.

The series continued in LdB Feb. 16. Things started off promising when LdB’s Dwight Hirst and Jay Griffith made it 2-1 for the Blues in the first period (Selkirk’s Rob Allison scored one for the Rivermen), but Selkirk’s Richard Enns tied things up with the lone goal of the second period. Allison and Kyle Devisser scored two more for Selkirk in the third period, and Hirst managed one more for the Blues for a final score of 4-3.

With one last chance to redeem themselves in the best-of-five series, the Blues fought Selkirk on the road Feb. 17, falling 8-3 to the MEHL’s second-best team.

Selkirk managed four goals alone in the first period, thanks to Kyle Prystupa, Pleskach, Rick Enns, and Les Forgala. LdB got only one goal in the first period courtesy of Cam Sokoloski. LdB’s second period goals came from Hirst and John Dancyt, and Selkirk’s Enns got another one as well.

The Blues didn’t score in the third period, and watching as Allison, Enns, and Dan Sinclair scored for Selkirk, ending the 2007/08 series for the Blues.

Hard year

It was indeed a hard year for the team. After winning three straight South Interlake Hockey League championships, the team became part of the brand-new MEHL in 2007.

The Blues won only seven out of 22 regular season games as part of the MEHL, falling to fifth place in the six-team league. Manager Curtis Dancyt announced in November that the team was rebuilding after losing half its players. The team was also without a coach for many games until John Kyne and Jeff Seifried came on board.

To keep up-to-date with the remaining MEHL season, visit www.mehlhockey.com