Whitby Wild joined the National Ringette League at the beginning of the 2008-2009 season. Made up of 12 players fresh out of Belle AA, that number dwindled down to 10 over the course of the season and many games were played with less than two full lines. While the team did get beat up pretty badly in year one (some games had 20-goal differential), the players enjoyed the inaugural year making new friends and simply enjoying playing the game. The team did manage to pull out one win that season and it came at the expense of a highly rated eastern team. The game was played on home ice and went to a shoot out with the Wild winning in the 3rd round. To say the ensuing celebrations were equal to that of a team winning a national championship would be an understatement.
The next two seasons were building years for the Wild. Thanks to some good draft picks, there has been renewed energy and confidence with the team. The 2010-11 season ended with the team winning four of the last five games, which enabled them to sneak into the playoffs. During game one of the playoffs, the team had the lead with less than five minutes remaining, but unfortunately the game went to a shoot out loss and the team was eliminated in game two by a small margin.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, the team is feeling pretty confident with another two strong draft picks. This year’s goal is to win 15+ games, win the playoffs and gain a birth to the NRL championship in BC in the spring of 2012.
As is the case with most teams, every Wild player faces the challenges of life - juggling school, jobs, significant others and attending practice and games. Regardless of the life challenges and the costs associated with playing in the league, it’s evident that the whole team shares a common goal - a passion for the game.
