Neepawa Natives coach pleased with early season energy from team, fans

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Published on Tuesday, September 23, 2014

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Banner

The Neepawa Natives are off to a very positive start this MJHL season. Prior to the Wednesday, Sept. 24 road game in Portage la Prairie, the club was 2-0 in the standings, after defeating the OCN Blizzard Friday and Saturday night at the Yellowhead Centre.

 Natives head coach Dwayne Kirkup said even though it’s still very early in the season, he’s very pleased with the team’s level of play and most importantly their consistency throughout both games. He suggested that the raucous home crowds that supported the club might have played a big part in inspiring them.

“I really liked the energy that was created in the rink. There was large crowd out supporting us on both nights, especially Saturday. It was amazing and the team fed off that energy.” said Kirkup.

A big factor in the victories for Neepawa was also the play of goaltender Alex Henry, who made 25 saves in the home opener and 36 saves for a shutout on Saturday night. Kirkup said his play, along with a solid defensive effort, will go a long way in deciding what type of year this will be for the club.

“I really liked the play of Alex Henry. We knew that he could give us an opportunity to win every night with him in net and I thought he really showed us that. But what I liked, especially on Saturday, was the structure we had. I felt as though we were really defensively sound. We did a lot of the little things during the game to keep the tempo. We managed the game very well. Our defence was smart. They weren’t out of position, running around and chasing. I liked the energy and the consistency we had in those two wins,” said Kirkup.

Kirkup noted however that there are still a few issues that need to be addressed, including the team’s power play. Over the course of two games, Neepawa went one for thirteen with the man advantage. Kirkup said the coaching staff is working with the players on improving those numbers.

“Our power play needs to be addressed a little bit. We have struggled a little bit with it. I feel as though, if we can get that going at a 20 to 25 per cent rate, it’s going to help us, especially in tight games.”

The next home game at the Yellowhead Centre will be on Oct. 12 against Steinbach. Over the next three weeks, Neepawa will travel to Portage la Prairie and the Pas, as well as Winnipeg for the annual Old Dutch-MJHL showcase at the MTS Iceplex. The Natives also have a “home game” in Brandon on Oct. 10 against the Virden Oil Capitals. Kirkup suggested that this early season extended road swing will show exactly what type of character this team will have when it faces adversity.