It’s been quite the season for former La Ronge Ice Wolves goalie Merek Pipes since he joined the Swan Valley Stampeders in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
Swan Valley acquired Pipes in November through a trade with the Ice Wolves. Coming back to La Ronge in the deal was future considerations.
In 24 games with the Stampeders, the Cobble Hill B.C. product has posted a 2.25 GAA and .931 save percentage. He also has four shutouts and 15 wins.
“The team is great at backing me up,” said Pipes. “I think I play a game where, if I can get support defensively, then I can cover my rebounds – I can keep them controlled. It’s just been a great team effort.”
The Stampeders currently sit in second in the overall standings with their superb 34-10-3-2 record.
“We know we’re one of the top teams in the league, but we also know that we need to come to play to win every game,” said Pipes. “Being a top team, a lot of teams play up to us and they bring their best game every night they play us.”
When he was still with the Ice Wolves, Pipes committed to play at Union College for the 2019-20 season. Union College is an NCAA Division 1 program located in Schenectady, NY.
Pipes and the Stampeders get back to work on Saturday at home when they host the Winkler Flyers.
(PHOTO: Merek Pipes. Photo courtesy of Hockey Night in Manitoba, Twitter.)