By Tara de Ryk
March 29, 2010

CRAIK-In one year, the Craik Warriors have gone from worst to first in the Wheatland Senior Hockey League.

The Warriors, who finished the 2008-2009 season in last place, on March 20 won the 2009-2010 league championship by beating Holdfast 4-3 to win the final series three games to one.

The two teams, due to their proximity, are intense rivals, so their meeting for all the marbles was good for players, fans and their home rinks.

It was standing room only in both rinks throughout the series, says Warriors' coach Aaron McRae.

The Warriors' biggest gate of the year was the March 19 game, the third in the series, one that McRae says his players expected to win, so they could be crowned champs at home. Craik was up in the series 2-0 after a 5-4 win March 13 and a 5-2 win March 14.

Holdfast won the March 19 game 3-1.

The Warriors had to re-group and win it in their rivals' rink.

McRae said the players will remember this championship for a long time.

For most, this is the first league championship of their hockey careers. McRae said only one guy on the team had won a league championship before.

He's proud of the team and the commitment from its players.

Jonathon Reich and Drew Heinen gave it their all in the finals, despite injuries. McRae says both played through the pain of separated shoulders.

"I'm proud of the heart these guys show."

Other players travel to home and away games regularly from Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon.

He notes the commitment of Dallas Bakken who goes to school at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta.

"He drove five-and-a-half hours to come back and play one game on a Wednesday night and then drove five-and-a-half hours back to go to school the next day," McRae said.

McRae said guys on the Warriors feel a loyalty to the team, which is why they go to great lengths to make the games.

"You don't want to let the guys down. You feel like you let them down when you can't go," McRae said.

The Warriors finished the league in third spot. They met Naicam in the first round and won it in three games straight.

Then they came up against second-ranked St. Brieux. The Warriors were down two games in the series and looked like they'd be out after Game 3. The Warriors went into St. Brieux and beat them 5-3. It was a turnaround for the Warriors, who won the next two games to take series 3 games to 2.

"It made it sweet to win the league because we were almost out and came back," McRae said.

He gives credit to playoff MVP, goalie Nathan Heinen for the turnaround.

Going into Game 1 of Round 2 in St. Brieux, McRae said the Warriors had only eight players so Heinen, who has played goal throughout his hockey career, played out.

"And he gets a goal," McRae said.

In the next game, Heinen replaced regular netminder Chris Stephens in goal and Heinen shut them out, McRae said.

"It surprised St. Brieux to have a goalie score on them and in the next game he shuts them out."

Now that the Warriors are league champs, McRae says there is interest in next year's squad.

"There is already chit chat about who wants to play with the team next year. We didn't have a whole lot of that last year," McRae said.

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