Nov 29, 2016 | Stephanie McMullen | 1555 views
Boot & Blade Jr. Attack Peewee AE Make It To Semis in Woolwich Wildcat Weekend
This past weekend, the Boot & Blade Peewee AE made their
tournament debut at the Woolwich Wildcat Weekend, and had a fantastic
experience!
Game 1 on Friday afternoon featured an emotionally charged match with Grimsby Peach Kings. The Jr. Attack sprang into the lead with a goal off the stick of Hunter McMillan, and the team never looked back. Quick skating and strong passes from the defence, especially from Jayden Todd and Dylan Phillips, kept the Peach Kings on their heels. Two more goals, from Jordan Cochrane and Isaiah Keir, sealed the deal and Owen Sound skated off with a 3 – 2 win.
Saturday morning, the Jr. Attack faced their toughest opponents, and eventual tournament champions, Centre Wellington Fusion. The boys tried several strategies, but kept running into speedy skaters who threw up a tough defence. Hawkley Bonn found the net with a clever shot, giving the team its only goal of the game. Despite an honest effort and some smart defence from Connor McManaman and Cole Brown, Owen Sound left the ice on the poor side of a 6 – 1 score.
Later that afternoon, the team hit the ice again against a classy team from New Hamburg. The game took many unexpected turns and plays, but the Jr. Attack emerged victorious. Jaiden Whitlock and Ethan Kerr can always be counted on to make great shots, and they delivered once again, knocking home a goal each, so that Owen Sound took the game 2 – 1 and moved on to the semi-final on Sunday morning.
The semi-final saw Owen Sound take on host Woolwich. The game was an exciting affair, and the best game of the tournament for the Jr. Attack. Colin Nicol’s speed on defence was remarkable, and Foster Tannahill dug deep in the corners. The Jr. Attack struck first, on a beauty passing play from Lucas Merner to Hunter McMillan to Isaiah Keir who one-timed it home. Woolwich hung tough though and battled back to lead 2 – 1 going into the final minute. A final empty-netter with 31 seconds left wrapped it up for Woolwich, who skated off with the 3 – 1 win and a berth in the finals.
Throughout the weekend, fans were treated to incredible displays of fore-checking prowess by Taelum Wilkie, especially on the penalty kill. Quinton Rodgers continued to push the play forward, battling for the puck at every opportunity. Jamie Nicoll’s razor-sharp kick saves and quick glove hand, and Hunter Staves’ intuitive stick play and fearless covers, built a wall in net. The team got a look at some potential opponents for the OMHA play downs, and the boys are looking forward to the rematches this winter!
Special thanks to all of the coaching staff for a great tournament!