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Dear Sabre Families,
As the hockey season begins to wind down, it is always nice to reflect back on the highlights of the year we had together, so I wanted to take a moment to do just that. Once again, our club gave us much to be proud of both on and off the ice. We had many teams post tremendous regular season records in all of our representative leagues, the CSDHL, NIHL, CUHL, and the NWHL.
Our Squirt Major CSDHL team was the first Sabre team in many years to win the Regional Championship of the prestigious International Silver Stick Tournament and advance to represent the Midwest Region and the Sabres in Canada. In other CSDHL success stories, our PeeWee Minor team finished tied for third in the league, and our PeeWee Major team battled for the league title all year finishing the year in second place. Our Girls program was once again very competitive with our 12U Girls team finishing second in the Gold Division. We also had one team crowned President's Cup Champions as the Squirt NIHL 2 team had a standout year. The team only lost one game in going on to capture the coveted NIHL Banner of the Silver Division. The future also appears to be bright for the Sabres as demonstrated by our youngest skaters in the CUHL. Three of our five teams finished the year with the lowest goals against in the league, and both our CUHL 1 and CUHL 3 teams finished in first place of the regular season standings.
Our teams also made noise in the post season. The Girls 12U team extended their regular season success into the playoffs. They lost a heartbreaker in the final losing 1-0 to finish as runner up in the Gold Division of the NIHL Blackhawk Cup. Our Bantam NIHL 1 team who had finished just one point out of first place in the regular season also fared well in the playoffs losing the finals in the Silver division. Our young skaters would not let us leave the playoff scene without claiming some hardware. Our CUHL 1 was in the final of the top division in the league and had to survive a shootout in the final to beat the Falcons 4-3.
Sabre teams were also well represented in the Final 8 of the State Championships with 9 teams appearing in the round robin portion of the tournament including 1 Squirt team, 4 Pee Wee teams, 2 Midget teams, and 2 Girls teams. We likely would have had more, only in a cruel twist of fate, there were a number of levels where Sabre teams faced each other in elimination games.
Our skaters began their collection of State Banners as our PeeWee NIHL 2 team took 3rd place in the PeeWee B Division. As of this writing, we had a number of teams positioned to possibly take home State Championships. On the Girls side, our 12U and 19U teams will both be competing in the state finals, and the boys will be competing for state supremacy in the Squirt B and PeeWee AA categories.
Let's make an effort to join them and cheer on their victories. First up will be our Boys 10U team scheduled to play Friday, March 8th at 6pm. Our Girls 12U team will play Saturday morning, March 9th at 9:55am, and the Girls 19U game is later that same day at 6:50pm. Lastly, Boys 12U will compete for the PeeWee AA Championship on Sunday, March 10th at 3:05pm. All games will be played at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville. We hope to see you there donning our Sabre blue and gold.
The commitment from our skaters to strive for equal success in the classroom continued to be a hallmark of our Club. I commend and congratulate all our scholars that have achieved academic excellence during the school year. Maintaining a high standard of academics while dedicating time to a passion is always a difficult balancing act and those that can do it should deserve special recognition.
Our success as a club and the continued development of our children could not be achieved without the tremendous support we receive from our trusted partners. As always, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank those who support and contribute to our mission. Our rink partners, All Seasons, Rocket Ice, and Downers Grove all provided us with a welcoming presence and tremendous service. A special thanks to B&R, and, in particular, John Merola. I received numerous compliments throughout the year on how good our boys and girls looked both on and off the ice, and it is directly related to how much work and passion John dedicates to the details of our Club and his passion for customer service.
With a Club of our size, the hockey season is always complicated and hectic. It is during this time of reflection that I am most awed by the commitment of so many. I would like to take this time to thank all of our managers and coaches for everything they do. I would also like to recognize and thank a very dedicated group of Board members. Their commitment and their willingness to make sacrifices enrich our community and make us a better hockey club. I am confident we have one of the most dedicated groups in youth sports. I am grateful for their service, and I am thankful for the opportunity to serve alongside them. Even with a group of dedicated people who formally serve, we would be severely challenged without those unheralded volunteers that step up when needed. To those volunteers that consistently choose to raise their hand to help, I say thank you. Please know that your efforts make a difference and they are much appreciated.
In a season filled with so many successes, it can be difficult to pick out a few favorite moments. This season, however, it was easy for me and both moments came off the ice.
With changes taking place in the Girls hockey landscape, there was much uncertainty surrounding our Girls program before the year began. In a style that is emblematic of their spirit, our Girls and the many adults who volunteer to help that program rallied around each other. Not only did their enthusiasm restore the strength of the Girls program, but they also made a tremendous effort to give back to our entire organization. On their own initiative and supported by our newly named Girls Director, Michael Campbell, the Girls held two fund raising events to help raise money for the Lori Maly Fund. Their bake sale was fun and delicious and gave many the chance to experience the engaging personalities first hand. The Girls were also able make the largest donation from a team initiative that anyone could remember, donating a total of $4,000. It was a remarkable demonstration of spirit and community.
During the course of this season, many of you came to know the story of Nate Pleva . In October, Nate was diagnosed with a narrowing of the aorta and was faced with the need to have heart surgery. The news did not dampen Nate's love for the game or his commitment to his teammates. He attended as many team activities as he could, and he continued to pester his parents about getting back on the ice. He demonstrated the courage and spirit that inspired anyone who heard his story. In true Sabre fashion, our community rallied around Nate. On a cold day in January, we came together to show our support for Nate and his family, and very suddenly RED became a Sabre color. Nate is a special boy. The Pleva's are a special family, and January 27th was a special day for Sabre Hockey. I was honored to be associated with the Pleva's and Nate that day, and I was proud to be a Sabre.
Those were a few of my favorite Sabre moments. Feel free to share yours at #Sabrecrazy.
Thank you to all our members. We appreciate the trust you put in the Board, and we thank you for your loyalty to our club. We are grateful for the many friendships and the community we have created together. Congratulations on a successful season, and we hope to see you at the rink again soon.
Go Sabres!
Sincerely, Michael O'Neill
President, Sabre Hockey Association
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