Major PeeWee Niagara on the Lake Christmas Tournament, News, PeeWee Major, 2011-12 (Owen Sound Minor Hockey Group)

This Team is part of the 2011-12 season, which is not set as the current season.
News Article
News Article Image
Dec 29, 2011 | rymand | 1899 views
Major PeeWee Niagara on the Lake Christmas Tournament
The Owen Sound Harold Sutherland Major PeeWee team spent the past few days in NOTL playing against 4 teams they have not seen this year.  After having beaten Burlington 5 to 1 prior to Christmas expectations were high.

Game 1 vs Wasaga Beach was very well played by all players from the goalie on out.  Wasaga managed to dress only 12 players and were really no match for Owen Sounds speed and physical play as Owen Sound scored 5 goals to their one.  Goals came from Tanner Prior, Jordan Lawrence, Alex MacNeil, Mathew Struthers and Cody Lisk.  Assists went to Lawrence, MacNeil, Struthers X 2, Logie, Koeslag, Vanderschot, and Laverne X 2.  Reese Pettigrew played solid in goal allowing only 1 goal on 13 shots.  Game MVP was Mathew Struthers. However, this game was to take on even more significance as OS lost its highest scoring most physical defenceman to suspension, 1 game we were told.

Later that night the team played game 2 against a much stronger Caledonia team.  Tanner Prior continued his strong play scoring the game’s first goal despite having lost his voice!  I guess you could say he did his talking with his stick!!  Caledonia scored two PP goals to take the lead going into the third when Garret Logie scored to tie the game at two.  Unfortunately despite hard work and pressure Caledonia scored one more to take the game 3 to 2.  No assists were given by the officials.  No Game MVP was listed. Ryan Winters played well in net having just returned from that hockey crazy state of Florida.

With game 3 scheduled for 430 pm the next day, and not 730 am as is normal, the teams great group of parents enjoyed a nice night socializing until the peewee hours.  No eggnog but a just a little licorice!

Game 3 was much anticipated as Niagara Falls was the opponent and was a solid minus 14 in the two games played so far!  Perhaps the boys were thinking of padding their point totals and forgot to actually play hockey as only 3 goals were scored in what was a lack luster game.  Credit should be given to NF as they improved with every game played. Goals went to Mathew Struthers, Brady Brown and Mathew Lyall.  Assists to Prior, Logie X 2, Koeslag and Brown. Reese Pettigrew played well shutting NF out making 10 saves and was awarded the game 3 MVP.  Like game one this game was also more significant than just the score.  One defenceman had returned but we lost another big defenceman to suspension, this time for the semifinal game the next day.  Further drama surfaced after the game as the tournament organizer confessed to having mistakenly issued only a 1 game suspension to the first suspended D-man.  Owen Sound was to be down its two largest bodies when facing perhaps Ontario’s largest Major PeeWee A hockey team from Cobourg.

After a quiet night watching team Canada beat up on the Czechs, a well rested but shorthanded Owen Sound team was motivated to earn a spot in the final on Thursday evening.  The team came out very strong and matching up well against the much larger boys from Cobourg trading scoring chances allowing only one goal and feeling confident that this game was in reach after 1 period of play.  As the coaches have said many times this season a game has 3 periods not 1. Perhaps it was the loss of the two defencemen, perhaps it was the size, speed and reach of the opponents, perhaps it was not to be.  Whatever the reason, the wheels fell off and it took 5 more Cobourg goals before Owen Sound would counter when Cody Lisk battled in front of the net scoring as he dove reaching for the loose puck with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game.  Assists went to MacNeil and Struthers. Ryan Winters made several great saves and played well for his team in net.  A berth in the final was not to be. Game 4 MVP went to Cody Lisk.

Tournament MVP was Reese Pettigrew who allowed only one goal during the tournament.  Well done Reese.

Looking forward, the team can take solace in the fact that it has 2 great goalies, 2 utility swing men who can play at both ends of the ice, 5 rough and tough skilled d-men and 8 fwds who can all score.  All that is missing is consistency.  Put it all together in the playoffs, each and every game, each and every period and we could see a long playoff run for an OMHA or a Tri County title.  Go Attack Go.

Sponsors