With Spring Break officially over and exams too far away to
be of concern, this campus enters an awkward period of the academic year that
leaves many students with the feeling of being in limbo. However, there are so
many events scheduled for these final weeks of the semester that no student has
any excuse to be bored. NCDC is rapidly approaching, which can always be
counted on to be more than satisfactory, and Ag day is getting nearer and
nearer as the weather gets nicer and nicer. The large tractors, fuzzy sheep,
and bright sunshine are the perfect recipe to ensure that even the most extreme
city slicker lets loose a big ol’ “Yee Haw” or two. Combine all this with the
Varsity Softball and Baseball seasons getting into swing (pun intended), and
the Student Symposium election cycle heating up, and it will be a miracle if
any homework gets done at all down the stretch. BUT, as truly wonderful as all
the activities mentioned above are, they cannot possibly compare to the high
intensity and intrigue that is currently billowing in anticipation for the 2016
Intramural Floor Hockey season.
Below you will find an in depth look-in at each of the teams
that experts are expecting to make some noise this season. Let’s start with the
defending champions, who are looking to win their third Cup in four years and
favored to emerge victorious again this season: the Canadian Cripplers.
1. The Canadian Cripplers
Led by superstar captain Chris Soodsma (above left) and an
aging Kevin Grootenboer (above right) who is hoping to end his Dordt College
Intramural Hockey League (DCIHL) career on a golden note, this team is truly
formidable. Add in 3 time DCIHL all-star
defensemen Mitchell Ten Napel, and no team will be happy to see the Canadian
Cripplers on their schedule. But the news for their opponents gets even worse
for two reasons. Those reasons are Bernice Winter and Nicole Postman, another
pair of aging all-stars who possess both a fierce desire to win and the
abilities to make their desires a reality, as they have done with this team so
many times in the past. In fact, the Cripplers have only lost one game in their
three years of existence. These two girls a large reason for that success.
big QUESTION(s):
How will freshman
Pieter Gesink fit into this team’s line up? Many feel he is the most
talented member of the Blades this season, despite him never playing a minute
due to a history of concussions. He has been a key member of championship ice
hockey teams in the past, coming up clutch in the biggest moments, but will his
skill transfer to dry land?
Who will play goalie?
With Joel Kranenburg gone, someone will have to step up between the pipes.
Kranenburg is regarded by many to be the best DCIHL goaltender to ever grace
the floor, and was single-handedly responsible for the Cripplers most recent
championship.
2.
The Bar Down Beauties
Energized, Determined, Obsessive. These are all words that
describe the Bar Down Beauties’ approach to the game. They pride themselves on
their strong team chemistry and playing with more heart than any other team on
campus. But don’t let my focus on team character fool you, their roster boasts
some top notch talent. Between the pipes you will find Junior Tanya Thalen, who
has more career wins than any other active goaltender. She has been the foundation
that the Beauties’ success has been built on over the last two years. On the
blueline we see Paul Greidanus, regarded by many to be the most dependable
defenseman in the game today. Returning to the team are Kelsey Lewis, Kacia
Veldhuisen, and Justine Van Zee. The three girls share a strong friendship as
well as an uncanny knack for navigating defenses and providing big goals. As
for Lucas Koomans, Andrew Koetsier, Colin Middel, Mark Huitsing, and Ross Van Gaalen? Well, I think their
past actions speak way louder than any words I can write. Everyone knows that they make magic happen.
big QUESTION(s):
Can the Beauties
overcome the loss of Jordyn Visscher? Jordyn was a key part of the team,
logging big minutes on the Beauties’ blue line and scoring goals from great distances.
Now a great distance separates her from this team as she is studying off campus
in Chicago. However, the acquisitions of freshman prospect Sara Van Wyk and
senior free agent Adriana Greidanus will go a long way to alleviate the pain of
losing Visscher. “We aren’t expecting any individual to try to step into
Jordyn’s shoes,” explained General Manager Ross Van Gaalen in a press
conference last Wednesday, “Everyone on this team will continue to step up
every night, and we will move forward as a unit.”
Is a certain player
having too much fun? Lucas Koomans possesses sheer raw talent that most
people can only dream of. But rumors are circulating that some members of the
coaching staff are fed up with his non-stop display of dirty dangles, wishing
he would get more serious and realize that going forehand to backhand between
his legs while sitting behind the net (when no one is even applying serious pressure) will never translate into a
goal.
3.
The Top Cheese Factory
With so many high caliber players on this roster, I don’t
know where to start. Just know that Tom Soodsma is very much living up to his
family name, and will continue to be a star for ages to come. Captain Dylan
Bartels has a gift for goals, and Jamie Veldhuisen has a smile that will melt
your heart. If a chat with Jamie doesn’t pick you up, you can be sure that the
strong arms and tender touch of senior forward Ayden Van Driel will do the
trick. And let’s not forget about super siblings Davis and Steph Konynenbelt,
who are quite the opposite of slouches.
After making it to
the championship last year, the Top Cheese Factory fell short of victory. To
make matters worse, no one seemed to give them the respect they felt they
deserved. Instead of discussing the final game, all of the headlines the next
morning talked about how the “actual” championship game was the semifinal overtime
showdown between the Beauties and Cripplers that took place just one hour
before. The Factory’s desire to prove their doubters wrong has never been
stronger. Thus, the defining characteristic of the Factory is the massive chip
on their shoulder, which is a very dangerous thing for their opponents.
big QUESTION(s):
Can the Terrace Trio
tough it out? Renee Ewald, Nathan Struyk, and Hannah Veldman all hail from
the Northern BC town of Terrace, where the citizens are known for their love of
nature. Their familiarity with each other will doubtless be good for team
chemistry, but when adversity strikes, will it be hard for them to find a way to send opponents running for the hills when all three would rather be
camping in those hills themselves?
Olson: Super Gold or Super Old? Intramural veteran Abigael Olson has won multiple championships in basketball, and is seeking to bring home gold again by winning a hockey
championship this year. She has won so
many titles over such a long career, that the rest of the Top Cheese Factory
look like children in comparison. The Factory’s front office hopes Olson’s
presence will calm the nerves of their inexperienced roster down the stretch,
but one has to wonder if the aging Olson has any gas left in the tank as her
days here at Dordt are coming to a close.
League Notes:
There are many other teams in the league this season, but
our reporters were not able to reach them all. Plenty of talented players
occupy roster spots on those teams, which will add intrigue to the season. On a
related but very sad note, Levi Minderhoud, the blue-collar grinder with a nose for the net who used to captain the Garbage Men, will not be present. The Garbage
Men have since folded, and their players have had to find employment elsewhere. Also worth keeping an eye on, Aaron Ladzinski is said to be assembling a team that he hopes will be able to do some damage.
FINAL WORD:
Despite a widespread desire for the DCIHL to have competitive balance among all
teams, the top analysts are quietly, reluctantly, yet steadily coming to a
consensus that the Bar Down Beauties are the only team that has a chance to
dethrone the Canadian Cripplers. As Freshmen, the Beauties shocked the hockey world by going
undefeated and crushing the Cripplers in the final 9-4. The next season, they
were beaten twice, each time falling in overtime to the hands of Soodsma’s Cripplers. Truly, the most intimate part of these two teams’
identities, the fire at the core of their soul, is their desire to defeat each
other. 2014 was about the Beauties being the new kids on the block and
constantly winning only because they were too young and naïve to realize they
weren’t supposed to. It appeared that there was no stopping them in the years
to come. However, the dominant narrative of the 2015 campaign was one of
vengeance, with the Cripplers dragging the arrogant Beauties mercilessly down to earth
while they themselves rose to victory. Surprisingly, the theme of 2016 for each
team feels rooted in mutual respect for the other. Both teams are proven
winners who expect to return to the top this season while realizing that
nothing can be taken for granted. Both teams had the displeasure of having
their crown ripped away by the other. It is no longer the kids versus the
Veterans. No longer new tactics versus conventional wisdom. The differences
have been melted away and now we see these refined squads as two sides of the
same golden coin. Each side needing the other to truly be whole, but each side
determined to fight its hardest to be the one that faces upwards when the coin
is flipped for the last time.
(At various locations around campus, members of the Top
Cheese Factory are currently in uproar after reading the final paragraph,
feeling overlooked once again and counted out before the season has begun. Dylan
Bartels does a hard eye roll and gives his head a shake. “Take off!” he shouts
before slamming his laptop shut in disgust.)
