'10-'11 Nationals
2011 was another successful season for the REEBOK NATS! Many of the teams found themselves competing in not only numerous semi-final games, but in championship venues, as well. Some teams even brought home a few 1st place trophies to put on the shelf. Below are just a few of our various teams' accomplishments:
96-NATS
This group of seasoned veterans played in the Championship game at the International Cup, took 3rd at the Easton Cup Invite, and battled its way into semi-finals of the Caribou Cup. And one cannot forget the benefits of being challenged! Our 96-boys went and competed against U16-teams at the Chi-Town Shuffle and the International Cup. It was the perfect way to prepare these players for the experience of vying for a spot on their upcoming high school Varsity hockey teams. The tournaments allowed the boys to go head-to-head against such elite players as Ian McCoshen and Taylor Cammarata, both of whom currently play for the Waterloo Blackhawks USHL team. Just as impressive is the fact that 10 of these young men were selected to attend the U15-Select Camp in St. Cloud and contend for places at the USA Hockey National camp!
97-NATS
These talented players competed in the Chi-Town Shuffle, Stars n' Stripes, USA International Cup, Easton Cup and Caribou Cup at the Elite level. The boys skated away with a 1st place victory at the International Cup against the MN Legacy(defending last year's championship!), lost in a close 3-2 championship game at the Easton Cup Invite, and made it to the semi-round of the Caribou Cup.
98-NATS
Travis Dundore’s team had a terrific season with a 3rd-place finish at the Warrior Cup, 1st place championship in the Shock Doctor Tournament, and completed its 2011 year with a hard-fought 2nd-place in the Caribou Cup.
99-NATS
Bellmore’s band of talent played in 5 championship games!!! They won the Ignite the Ice, Warrior Cup and Blaze Cup tournaments. To add to their merits, the boys walked away with 2nd-place at the MN Independent Classic Invite and International Cup Invite.
U14-NATS
Not to be outdone by their male counterparts, this squad of young ladies made their mark in the hockey world, too. The U14-NATS' wrestled their way to 1st place championships in both the Stick It to Cancer and the Pepsi Cup tournaments. The girls also walked away with a 3rd place finish at the International Cup in Blaine.
While many other AAA-programs measure themselves by the number of first place medals that they have in their trophy case, the REEBOK NATIONALS have an even higher bar of achievement that they feel truly measures a team’s success. The REEBOK NATIONALS pride themselves upon developing the player…and what better gauge of that accomplishment than the compliments that we receive from parents! We have been inundated with e-mails describing how last season’s NATS’ players at a myriad of levels have been returning to their winter association teams and WOWING the coaches with their new-found talents and knowledge. Here are a few examples of our triumphs:
FROM A U16-PARENT
"Good Evening Willy,
I wanted to thank you for allowing Brooke to play up last year and skate on your team. I have been watching her this fall and she is skating awesome and her confidence is showing when she is on the ice. I have been thinking about this quite a bit and I believe strongly that this was because of her experience this summer. I realize some may have not agreed with having her play at this level, but I think it was best thing for her, THANK YOU so much for helping us with that. "
A QUOTE FROM A PARENT WHO HAD
BOTH A 96 AND AN 01 PLAYER
“What I like about the Nats is that they work incredibly hard on the skills and hold the kids accountable in every facet of the game. That said however, they are not so rigid and militant that it takes the creativity, the fun and the joy out of the game for the kids and families participating. The drills are challenging both physically and mentally. You have got to pay attention! As a result, both of my kids have a renewed sense of joy for the game and their confidence and skill level have improved. When you get to a certain skill level, it is the little things that need attention. The Nats program has the staff and program that helps improve your overall hockey skills AND develop those finer skills needed to be successful when competing in hockey at the highest level.”
TRAVIS DUNDORE, 98 & 2000 COACH
“…several kids from my 2000 team made the Pee Wee A as first years. A 97 that I took as a practice player made the Jefferson Bantam A team!”
We look forward to seeing you all back on the ice in March 2012. Best of luck to all of our players and families with their fall/winter season!