Natives captain happy to be back in lineup
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- Published on Tuesday, December 3, 2013
By: Lanny Stewart
myWestman.ca
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Neepawa Natives have their captain back.
Ryley Pace, who returned to the lineup over the weekend, has been out of game action since mid-October when he suffered a torn MCL (medial collateral ligament) in a game against the Waywayseecappo Wolverines.
After approximately seven weeks away from game action, the 20-year-old blueliner from Red Lake, Ont., who played in Swan Valley against the Stampeders on Saturday and in Neepawa against the Winkler Flyers on Sunday, says he's happy to be back.
"Especially when you're a 20-year-old and in your final season of junior hockey," he told myWestman.ca.
"It's going to take a few games here to get the feel back and the pace of play," he continued. "For the most part, it's about getting my confidence back in me where I was before the injury and not worry about my knee."
Natives head coach Dwayne Kirkup says the return of Pace means a lot for the team, which has been struggling as of late. The Natives have dropped five games in a row in regulation time and now sit with a 7-17-4 record.
"They [teammates] are excited to have him back," said Kirkup. "He's just a really good person. He treats everybody fairly, equally. He's a guy that's just nice to be around. He's very mature and the young players really do respect him.
"He's just a warrior," he continued. "He leads on and off the ice. He'll make a big impact in the locker room and on the ice. We look forward to his leadership as we move forward."
Since he's returned to the lineup, Pace has been paired with 20-year-old Lyndon Soper on the blueline as the veteran duo looks to help the club get out of their recent funk.
"We have been given lots of responsibility on the back end by the coaching staff and to lead by example for the younger guys," said Pace. "I enjoy playing with Soper. We move the puck really well and we seem to know where each other are on the ice."
Despite the club's recent struggles, Pace is confident the team can begin winning games on a more consistent basis.
"The thing with our team is we have to come to the rink everyday with our work boots and be ready to work and believe in the team systems and also in the guy beside you," he said.
"There's no reason why we can't turn this ship around. Lots of season left."
The Natives will try to turn the tide in their favour on Wednesday when they host the OCN Blizzard.
Photo: Ryley Pace
Photo submitted
