(by team reporter Albert Ross)
The EJ’s Bantam Husky AEs travelled
to St. Marys on November 7 to ply their trade in a 3-day tournament in hopes of
winning some hardware. As fate would have it, The Dogs came home victorious
after winning 5 straight games, 3 of them shutouts, with goals for and against
of 17 and 2.
It was a spectacular effort that began Friday morning when they faced off against the Tavistock Titans. Alex Kyle registered the first goal on a point shot with Mason Wagner getting the assist. The Titans answered early in the second but Emmet Latyn re-established the lead on another point shot with Nic Egli riding shotgun. The closer came in the third on a hard drive to the net by Jacob Ertel with Matt Sommerville getting the helper. Wagner bagged the player of the game for his efforts during the contest.
The 3 – 1 win provided the confidence to continue the momentum into the afternoon match against the Mount Brydges Cougars. This opponent played a physical game that the Dogs matched and by the second period, it was clear that the Huskies were in control. Egli got the opener on a backhand that Danny Farrish assisted on and then potted another early in the third with Wagner loading the gun. The Cougars suffered another goal against late in the third when Josh Potts popped one in on the power-play with Tyson Wagler assisting. It was a nice 3 – 0 shutout win that net-minder Carter Schwartzentruber earned for his team. Potts pocketed the player of the game accolades and the Huskies looked for their next win the following day when they faced the Mitchell Meteors in the final round-robin match.
Sommerville wasted no time and registered the first point on a feed from Farrish with less than a minute gone. Dale Jurica added another with Ertel and Potts getting the helpers followed by a third goal from the stick of Ertel with Wagler and Potts once again getting in on the play. The Husky scoring machine continued in the second with Jackson Gerber adding the fourth marker with Egli and Wagner pocketing the assists. Wagner grabbed the fifth point with line mates Egli and Gerber helping out. Zack Robinson had an easy time in net as the Meteors were bottled up badly in their own end for much of the game with only one power-play registering late in the third. Ertel immediately answered with Latyn and Wagler assisting to take the 6 – 1 win. Wagler scooped the player of the game and the Huskies advanced to the semi-finals to take on the number 2 team from the B-pool.
The puck dropped Sunday morning as the Dogs faced the Ayr Flames in the first elimination match. It was scoreless after one but Egli found the 5-hole early in the second on a feed from Wagner. Potts doubled the tally on a rebound from Wagler with Kyle helping out. Egli did it again on a power-play cycling exercise that Owen Ross made possible. The closer came in the third when Farrish pounded in his own rebound that Danny O’Connell assisted on. It was a stunning 4 – 0 win that Farrish captured player of the game on and gave Schwartentruber his second shutout of the tournament.
The Huskies were the tournament favourites as they took to the ice Sunday afternoon for the final game to face their earlier tournament rivals, the Mount Brydges Cougars. The game was war on ice as both teams played with physical intensity. The Husky defensemen, Wyatt Rempel, Latyn, Kyle, Ross and Jurica exacted a punishing price whenever a Cougar forward crossed the blue line. Robinson was backstopping the Husky end with precision and together, the Dogs blunted the Cougar attacks through two periods of play. The Pack found their footing in the third and with 3 minutes left, Wagner found the net on a screened shot that Egli assisted on. The Cougars failed to answer and the Huskies took the 1 – 0 shutout win, giving Robinson his first of the season. It was a commanding tournament performance in the face of stiff competition from the Cougars and a sweet victory that crowned the Huskies as Tournament Champions. Congratulations Huskies!