This past weekend the New Hamburg Minor Atom Huskies travelled to Georgetown to compete in the Best of the Best Tournament. Going into the weekend the Huskies had already played back to back league games against Burlington and Guelph and the tournament schedule would mean that the boys would be playing six games in five days. They would also be without one of their key players, Ben Domm, and trainer Mark Domm for the weekend. But that didn’t stop the Huskies.
The boys came out flying on Friday winning both games over a depleted Cambridge squad 4-0 and their league rivals from Milton 3-2. Saturday afternoon saw them play a tough team from Fort Erie and through 30 minutes of tight checking and great goaltending from both sides the score was a 1-1 tie. That set up a Sunday morning game against the Burlington Bulldogs where the Huskies could reach the finals as the top round robin team with either a win or tie. The Huskies have been known to be a morning team and after a superb defensive game anchored by the group of Jesse English, Josh James, Eric Armstrong, Will Austin and Adam Roth the boys won a close game by a score of 2-0. That set up a late afternoon rematch against the Cambridge Hawks in the finals. Head coach Nick Armstrong and all the assistants, Jim Bruder, John Klassen, Ryan Roth and Jim Scott had the boys fired up before the game and the Huskies pressed early but couldn’t find the back of the net. Cambridge scored late in the first to go up by one but Owen Bruder responded with an early second period goal to tie things up. Cambridge went back to the lead early in the third but Thomas Klassen made a great pass to Hayden Lewis who buried his shot from just outside the circle tying the game at 2. Overtime would solve nothing even with the Huskies applying outstanding pressure in the Cambridge end led by Jack Walmsley, Ayden Norley, Nic Walsh and Caiden Ziolkoski. The final would go to a shootout and New Hamburg responded with a great goal by Owen Bruder to open the rounds. Cambridge would get one of their own in the second but Goalie Owen Scott would shut the door on any of the remaining Cambridge players. Finally, after seven rounds, Will Austin would bury a nifty little goal past the Cambridge goaltender to seal the deal for the Huskies. Owen Scott’s final save in the shootout would win the game and as they gathered at centre ice for the awards ceremony with all of the outstanding coaches each of them would go home knowing that they were the “Best of the Best”. Special thanks to all of our AP players that participated this weekend including Keegan Metcalf, Jordyn Ertel, Kaleb Mosburger and Josh “Shoes” Soulliere.
Congratulations Minor Atom Huskies!!!!!!