Huskies Move on to OMHA Semi-Finals, News, PeeWee AE, U13, 2011-2012 (New Hamburg Hockey Association)

This Team is part of the 2011-2012 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Feb 19, 2012 | jgerber | 1024 views
Huskies Move on to OMHA Semi-Finals
submitted by team reporter Albert Ross

The Re/Max Twin City Peewee AE Huskies wrapped up their OMHA quarter-final series on Friday February 17 against the Erin-Hillsburgh Devils and came away victorious in the 3-game sweep. The odyssey began the previous Sunday when the Dogs travelled to Erin for game 1 with high anticipation.

The Devils came out strong and set the tone by playing a physical game. The Dogs can give as good as they get as Bailey Zehr  and Owen Ross were quick to demonstrate to all Devil attackers. Scoreless after one the Pack poured on the gas in the second. The opener came half way through the frame when Trent Smith found the sweet spot getting help from Evan Denison and Dale Jurica. Denison would help again as he was being tripped but his feed to Nathan Gerber was good and the Dogs found themselves with a two-goal lead on the play. The war along the boards was being won by the Huskies and the pay-off came when Jackson Gerber fed the puck to Tim Geiger who raced with team mate Jackson Normandeau to the opposing net. Geiger’s feed to Normandeau was textbook perfect and the Pack had a 3-goal lead on Normandeau’s shot. The unrelenting pressure was carried into the third but The Devil’s goalie proved tough. The few opposition attacks that did get through were easily handled by Jackson Holmes who was solid in net and brought home the 3 – 0 shutout win.

 The Huskies hosted the Devils for game two on Tuesday night in what became a runaway success for the Dogs. The opener came early on the power-play when Kolton Wagler’s feed to Smith was made good. Smith walked it around the net to tally. The Devils tried to answer but Tyler Kumpf stopped the only shot the opposition could muster as the period closed. The Huskies hit the afterburner in the second and registered five more unanswered goals. Denison was first away with Alex Smirnow and Nathan Gerber assisting. Jackson Gerber tipped in Smirnow’s shot to add another. Normandeau bagged yet another getting help from Smith on a power-play. Emmet Laytn’s bullet from the side hit the target with the helper going to Jurica. Closing out the frame was Denison’s short-handed rush with Jackson Gerber taking the assist. The Devil’s once again tried to rally early in the third but Kumpf was quick with the glove and denied their last best chance before the Husky forwards went back to work. They peppered the opposition goalie mercilessly, finally getting the last goal when the Normandeau-Nathan Gerber tag-team succeeded. It was a dominating 7 – 0 shutout win that gave the boys boat loads of confidence on Thursday when they again played host.

But the Devils were desperate and they came out hard against the Huskies. Holmes was tested early and the Dogs took a minute to rebound. A minor penalty against the Pack was the moment the Devils were waiting for and they used it to tally for the first time against the Huskies. The celebrating was short-lived as Nathan Gerber immediately answered getting help from Wagler. Dawson Hussey upped the ante in the second with the assist going to Laytn. Laytn then added his own marker minutes later getting help from Smith. Zehr closed out the second frame scoring on beautiful feed from Hussey. His shot blew through the 5-hole giving his team a commanding lead. But it wasn’t over. The Devils rebounded early in the third on two back-to-back power-play goals before the Husky defense stiffened. Joel Domm and Ross were doing sterling service in front of Holmes who kept the door shut for the remainder of the period. The final goal came on a two-man rush. Domm fed the puck to Hussey who then raced with Latyn up ice to cement the 6 – 3 win and conclude the series. It was a commanding performance that will propel the Huskies to the OMHA semi-finals where they hope to continue the success.