The History of Spectrum TH
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Year 1
In our first season,1997-98. Spectrum with the guidance of Spartak started our team with some current players, mixed with former players, rookies to the game and some players with experience with other leagues and The Provincial Jr. team.
As a team we had a 6 year goal, which was:
Year 1: Start a team and make the B playoffs.
Year 2: Have a good season, win the B Title.
Year 3: Go undefeated and repeat winning the B Title.
Year 4: Move up to A and compete.
Year 5: Finish up the season over .500 and make the Finals.
Year 6: Finish up at or over .750, and win the A Div. title.
Back to year one, we struggled with team cohesiveness ,and general problems associated with learning the game. We ended our season with a respectable 6-7-3 record and a .455 winning percentage, for 15 pts and 3rd place.
Making it to the post season we lost 2 games to 1 to Wolfpac, in the best of 3 semi finals.
Year 2
In the beginning of our second season (1998-99) we lost our season M.V.P., team scoring leader (2nd in the League), and All-Star in Steven Sawatzky, but we had a season to build upon and set a goal to improve on our previous season. By the end of the season we had really come together as a team and really improved. Our record at the end of the season was 9-6-0 for 18 pts and a .600 winning percentage (in one less game). We ended up in 3rd place again.
Making it into the playoffs, we played Wolfpac (2nd Place) in the first round and defeated them 2 games to 0. The following weekend we played Crusaders (1st. Place), lost the first game and won the last two the following day for the upset win, finishing the season as the Divisional Champs.
Year 3
In the 1999 - 2000 season, we really showed how much we had improved going undefeated throughout the regular season and swept both rounds of the playoffs 2-0. Our final record facing divisional teams was 19-0-1. We ended up the season in style winning the cup and taking home 3 All-star awards in the process.
Year 4
In season Four(2000-2001) the team decided to move up into the A div., to help us grow as Handballers but also to augment an ailing A Div. The team reclaimed B Div. scoring sensation Andre Auger (on loan to the Bisons) and added some experience in Ben Moore, a Provincial calibre player who is known for his Defensive prowess, offensively wanted to take on a more integral role but was lost in the High-powered offence of the defending champs (Spartak).
The season was a rough one, much as we expected. Andre left for most of the season to tour Europe, and Ben was M.I.A. for a Red Card(2 games) and missed a game and 2 tournaments due to work. We finished the season 3-15-0, the record we expected.
We wanted to beat Phoenix twice, and Rico Heat once, going into the season. We ended up going .500 with Phoenix and loosing all other games to Rico Heat and Spartak. Of the 15 games we lost 8 were by one goal and 3 were by 2, showing us that we were close-but just needed a little more experience.
We qualified for the Playoffs, in the first round we played the third place team (Phoenix) in a one game series.
Year 5
In season five (2001-2002)in a suprize move A. Division scoring sensation Larry Curtaz told Manager Chris Kaufmann that he was tired of the bickering and blame he was receiving from his team (Spartak), and expressed interest in changing his scenery, A deal was struck that would bring Larry over to Spectrum.
This move really opened things up for Spectrum, now we had quality starters at every position, opening things up for the whole squad, if a opposing team tried to key on one guy...Boom, another would step up and put the ball in the net.
The season went as expected, it took a little time to gel, with a new player, Andre playing a whole season, etc. We finished 5-1 vs. Phoenix A.C., 3-3 vs. Spartak, and 2-4 vs. Rico-Heat, one game over .500. In Regina we lost in the Finals, and in Edmonton the team was almost arrested and ended up in 4th place.
At the end of the season we added some insurance from one of our B affiliates (Soar)G-Sean "Cowboy" Ashton, and B-Sebastian "Sea bass" Grochocki, and played Phoenix AC. in the first round of the playoffs.
We knew that we were going to be playing the hard Defensive playing team Phoenix A.C. who was gritty but a little long in the tooth, and if we could split the first two games and force a game three, we had a great chance.
Phoenix won the first game on Saturday night, but we battled back early next morning, when we let our youthfulness and "fresh legs" do the work. In the final game later that day, Phoenix had nothing left in the tank and we defeated them quite handedly.
We knew that we would be playing Rico-Heat in the Finals as the beat Spartak 2 straight, and were quite rested up, but like Phoenix, Rico-heat was an older team, even more so than Phoenix, and if we could push them to 3 games it would be to our advantage, but due to some red card trouble in the first series vs. Phoenix, that would be tough.
Rico-heat ended up winning two straight due to their experience, but the season was seen as a success, as we accomplished our five-year goal. Everyone was jacked and we knew that we should be able to accomplish our 6-year goal, and everyone said "They'd be back!".
Three players from Spectrum were named to The All-Star team LB-Andre Auger, RB-Larry Curtaz, and G-Paul Courchaine, Things looked good for '02-'03
Year 6
In season six (2002-2003), the season got off to a rocky start the team almost folded, then reverted back to the B Division, when all three All-Stars jumped ship and joined Spartak to "Try to make a run at the Gold medal at Nationals", Andre, Paul and Larry Quit the team thus forcing coach Scott Schinkel to quit and CB- Rob Wood to also quit. The team felt quite let down, by those three guys, but in the end the team was able to forgive and somewhat understand why they left the team.
Nonetheless, the team needed to move on. We immediately signed LB-Sebastian Grochoki from our B affiliate Soar/Venom, but we new that he'd only be around for about the first month. Sean Ashton, our B goalie signed with the upstart Abyss team after the previous season. Getting a goalie was our first priority; we signed the abandoned goalie and friend, Al Lagasse who also played for Soar in previous years.
Our old nemesis Phoenix was going through the same personnel problems as Spectrum, they had 5 of the youngest and brightest players leave their system plus goalie leave to start The Pikeys, and their star RB left to re-join Spartak for their "Run for the gold", so in one of the biggest suprizes in Spectrum THC history we came to an agreement with our hated enemy Phoenix A.C. The agreement was with their two remaining players P-Ward Hrabi and Back Norman Taylor, both two excellent players on both sides of the ball. Our team was set!
We had no idea what to expect from our rookie players, new goalie and new players, the season was up for grabs, and we new that it was going to be interesting! How would the Spectrum players get along with the Phoenix guys, was Al the a calibre goalie we thought he was, who was going to score the goals for this new team?
One of the first questions was answered when Ben Moore gave his Jersey (number 3) to long time league veteran Ward Hrabi, the team managed to gel together fairly well.
The season was somewhat trying with the team having to adjust and a lack of prolific scorers. Defensively the team played well, but had a tough time scoring more than 25 goals.
The highlight game that season was the game vs. Spartak that goalie Al Lagasse was MIA and "The Kauf" had to go into net, shutting down Spartak's patented "fast break" to Steve Sawatzky with his aggressive playing in net, and the shutting out of National/Pan-Am Games Team member Kris Kendall.
As expected Spectrum lost, but only by one goal! Wow.
Spectrum's season ended up 3-13-1, and out of the playoffs.
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