“I like being at home,” exclaimed Northern Chill 16U Ice Box middle Evan Hodgins, not all that long after his team opened McGregor Cup – Trillium E play at Laurentian University with a 25-16, 25-17 win over the Northern Chill 15U Norsemen.

“There’s no drive, the courts are nice and it’s familiar,” added Hodgins. “It’s awesome.”

Four victories in four matches later, it was likely even more awesome as the Sudbury lads defended their turf with pride, capturing gold in a field of nine teams Saturday in the Nickel City.

The Ice Box completed their pool sweep, taking down the North Bay 15U Jr Lakers Ice 25-14, 25-14 and affording themselves a favourable quarter-final matchup. With the end goal now in sight, the Chill defeated the Storm Thunder from Aurora in the QF (25-15, 25-8) and the Bluewater Ballistix from Owen Sound / Grey Bruce County in the SF (25-16, 25-20), before finally dropping a set in the championship affair.

Thankfully, the Ice Box would claim the two sets they needed to dispose of the Durham Attack Chaos from Oshawa, 26-24, 21-25, 15-12, and making good on the game plan implemented by head coach and University of Saskatchewan alumnus Richard Faucher.

“We had to focus on our side of the court and not so much on their’s,” noted Hodgins. “That’s important. And our communication and overall energy has to be good. The yelling and cheering gets us amped up.”

“When we’re feeling the adrenaline, it works.”

Steered towards volleyball by his former gym teacher (Madame Paradis) and working in recent years under the tutelage of Lasalle Secondary volleyball coach Mike Rybiak, Hodgins continues to refine his defensive abilities while being ever so thankful that he and the Ice Box setters are frequently very much on the same page.

“They (setters Cédric Larouche and Maksim Rybiak) do a good job of moulding to us,” said Hodgins. “They just place the ball right and you hit it. I am very grateful to have them.”

Also picking up a win in their match with the North Bay Jr Lakers (25-10, 25-19), the Chill Norsemen dropped their quarter-final match to the Durham Attack (19-25, 16-25) but closed off on a winning note, placing fifth thanks to a repeat victory over North Bay, 25-18, 25-22.

The 2024-2025 Northern Chill U16 Ice Box embrace a lineup of Cameron Young, Dylan Bates, Brett Rienguette, Mykael Gagné, Nick Mills, Clarke McNeil, Cédric Larouche, Greg Kao, Evan Hodgins, Danik LeBlanc, Maksim Rybiak, head coach Richard Faucher, assistant coaches Mike LeBlanc and Michael Rybiak and team manager Melanie LeBlanc.