U18 Female Eastman Selects looking to take the next step
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The female U18 AAA Eastman Selects are off to a strong start this season.
Eastman swept their opening weekend, picking up a 5-0 win in their Niverville home base Oct. 5 over Central Plains, before travelling to Morden and defeating Pembina Valley 6-2.
Laird Laluk coaches the Selects. The Brandon-born Laluk played nearly 100 games in the Western Hockey League before joining the Winkler Flyers in the late 90s. He was named the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s playoff most valuable player in 1998.
“Our girls are ready, they know what they want to accomplish this year,” Laluk said.
“I think our returning players know this league is a very competitive league. There’s going to be some great teams, some competitive battles night in and night out. We’re really excited for the opportunity to play and show what team we have.”
Laluk said he expects the team to finish in the upper half of the Manitoba Female Hockey League this season.
“I don’t know if I’ve coached a better group than this,” Laluk said.
“They come ready to work, they treat each other the right way, they’re going to push each other. We’re going to have some roller coaster ups and downs… but our coaching staff is really excited to work with these girls.”
In addition to the new faces from the younger age groups, the Selects added a pair of players who spent last year playing with their rivals. Defender Vayda Rigaux and forward Delainey Rigaux, who played for the Interlake Lightning last season, have joined the Selects for this year.
Eastman has six players on their roster this season who will be graduating the program in 2027, with 10 returning players.
“I think the Eastman region has done a fantastic job with our female program,” Laluk said.
“(The) kids that are moving up from U15 are ready to play… They have the skillset to make the jump into this league.”
The U18 AAA division of the MFHL is one of the best leagues in Manitoba, with players regularly graduating to play at the next level.
One of the Eastman’s top recent graduates took time to visit the team before the start of the season. Toronto Sceptres and former Ohio State goalie Raygan Kirk gave the players an inside look at what it takes to make the Professional Women’s Hockey League, joining them for a talk and on ice session just before the start of the season.
It will be a busy Thanksgiving weekend for the Selects, as the team is in action on Friday Saturday and Sunday. Games against the Yellowhead Chiefs (5:30 p.m. Oct. 12) and the Westman Wildcats (4 p.m. Oct. 13) are inside the Niverville Resource and Rec Centre.