Two local boys are headed to the state Pee Wee hockey tournament. Brody Bronikowski (L) and Rayce Gibson play for the Silver Bay/North Shore Pee Wee hockey team that is 33-0 on the year. The team headed for New Ulm this weekend where they will attempt to keep their win streak alive. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
Two starters from Cook County who play on the unbeaten Silver Bay/North Shore Pee Wee hockey team will get a chance to play in the state championship tournament held in New Ulm, March 13-15, where they will compete against the White Bear Lake (WBL ) Orange team.
Brody Bronikowski, in sixth grade, and Rayce Gibson, a seventh-grader, are excited for the opportunity to play more hockey. Both are forwards on the 33-0 team, with Brody often playing center and Rayce playing on the wing.
Both boys said they get along well with their teammates and appreciate the efforts their coaches and parents make so they can practice and play Pee Wee hockey.
So far this season, Rayce has “about eight goals and 11 assists,” he said, while Brody added he has “five or six goals and eight assists.”
When asked what their favorite part of playing the game was, they both looked at each other and almost simultaneously replied, “scoring goals.”
The boys, who were brought to their newspaper interview by Casey Bronikowski, the mother of Brody, are both shy and well mannered. They did a great job of answering questions with few spoken words.
The 2020 Chuck Futterer Memorial Bonspiel top event winner was the Team Williams rink from Thunder Bay, Ontario. From L-R are: Paul Carr, Gordon Williams, Joe Marques, and Phil Szuba.
When asked how they felt about their team’s success so far, Rayce replied, “Awesome,” and Brody answered, “Epic.”
What is practice like?
“Hard,” each said, but Casey spurred them to provide more details.
“The first practice after a game, we skate a lot,” said Brody. “Coach pushes us hard.”
Rayce nodded in agreement, adding, “Real hard.”
Neither boy was especially fond of the practice dedicated to building up their endurance. The training that hurts the most has allowed them to win all of their close games this season. When games have been on the line, Silver Bay/North Shore has been able to keep their legs under them and find the net with the puck. Later, when they are older, they will appreciate those practices more, they were told by Casey.
The other practices aren’t as rigorous and the kids build skills like puck handling, passing, learning positions, and plays, with some shooting drills added. Both boys enjoyed these training sessions quite a bit, they said.
Each practice lasts from 75 to 90 minutes, and the kids are required to arrive one-half hour before training starts.
Couple the rigorous workouts with a 75-minute drive to and from Silver Bay, and the half-hour early each player has to arrive at practice, and there goes the kids free time after school.
Both boys agreed there was a lot of sacrifices made to play the sport they love, and each felt those long days were worth the effort. Mom nodded, there were also a lot of sacrifices she and her husband, Matt, make, to take the kids to and from the ice rink.
As far as school, both Rayce and Brody are on the honor roll.
When asked if they do homework on the way to and from practice, Rayce and Brody grinned, shaking their heads no.
“They listen to music,” said a chagrinned Casey. “Lots and lots of music.”
While they are excited about the upcoming state tournament, Brody and Rayce said they would like to continue to play in high school.
That’s excellent news for Silver Bay, but until they can drive, a good set of earplugs might be in order for Matt and Casey.
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