Waywayseecappo Wolverines Captain Owen Pringle just got on the ice at the end of the game on Saturday night in Dauphin, as Ryley Cyca scored the game winning goal to put the Wolverines into the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
“I saw (Cyca) shoot through three layer of guys, and then I saw the red light come, with the green light that followed right after,” said Pringle. “There was just a sense of relief that we were in and that we made it.”
Pringle along with Assistant Captain Jack Clarke will be making their playoff debuts with the Wolverines this weekend. They have been on the Wolverines teams of the past two seasons. Both of the teams were eliminated in the final week of the season. But this time it was different, holding off the Virden Oil Capitals during the last week of the season.
“It was very emotional for me (making the playoffs), after playing for this organization for the past three years, and not making it the first two years,” said Clarke. “To do it with the same organization I started my career with, just makes it so much more special.”
The Wolverines will start their playoffs on Friday in Dauphin at Credit Union place on Friday. The first home game of the playoffs will be on Sunday night for Game 2. Between the two veterans, only Pringle has actually had a chance to see a home game in the playoffs. He went to the 2022 playoffs, on a recruiting trip.
“Everyone is asking around in the locker room, figuring out what it’s going to be like on Sunday,” said Pringle. “They are very passionate here, and you’ll be hearing the horns blaring, and I think the guys will take a second to take it all in before the puck is dropped.”
Clarke mentioned that he thinks the rink is going to be a “zoo”.
For Clarke, he started the year in the NAHL in Alaska, but came back to the Wolverines at the deadline. He said he was missing something when he was away Wawwayseecappo.
“I was missing a team that I loved being a part of, and coming back to Wayway, this team is more of a family,” said Clarke. “Everyone has your back here and it’s awesome to make it back to the playoffs with these guys.”
Since arriving back with the Wolverines, he has put up 9 goals, 7 assists in 24 games.
Even though the team will be considered underdogs in the upcoming series, both players have belief in the team heading into the best-of-seven series.
“We’re confident and we’ve played them well all year,” said Pringle. “No one in the league believes in us, and that’s fine with us, because we believe in our group.”
Game 1 will start at 7:30pm in Dauphin. You can watch the game on FloSports.
