The
Wilhelm Financial Midget Huskies LL3 dug deep on March 8 to defeat the Midget
LL1s in a 5 – 3 contest to force a seventh round-robin tie-breaker game on
March 12. The Dogs had to win in order to advance to the A-pool final series
but were unfortunately eliminated by the Midget LL2s in a 6 – 2 route. The loss
meant a respectable 3rd place season ending standing but the boys
had plenty of legs left for one more tournament in Paris held on March 20 – 22.
Game one went Friday night against the Wasaga Beach Stars in a contest that the Huskies had in hand up until the final minutes. Penalties were the undoing in the 3 – 2 loss that the Dogs resolved to solve on Saturday morning when they faced the St. George Generals. Liam Saunders looked good in net for 2 periods of scoreless deadlock before the opposition found the mark early in the third. The Pack responded when Colin Shannon teed one up that Nathan Gerber deflected in to re-tie the game. It was end-to-end action that ended when the Generals went to the box and the Huskies capitalized on the power play. Connor Ross plugged in the winner getting help from Owen Houle in the dying minutes to take the 2 – 1 victory. Game 3 went later that afternoon against the Chatsworth Rebels in a tough and fast contest. Canden Addley’s backhand paid early dividends getting nice setup help from Houle and Sean Boake. The war on the boards degenerated into penalty infractions for both teams in the second frame that extended into the third. Wyatt Whitby was solid between the pipes making key saves as the Rebels tried to even things up before the buzzer. A late game breakout by Trent Reinhart helped Gerber secure the insurance marker in the 2 – 0 shutout win that allowed the Dogs to advance to the quarter-finals on Sunday morning. The Huskies were warned about the hard-hitting reputation of their new opponent, the Manvers Mustangs, but the Dogs speed and rushing plays were first to pay-off. Andrew Just sniped the top corner as the first period ended with Cam Gingerich getting the assist. The opposition tried to rebound in the second as the Huskies went to the penalty-kill. Saunders was again doing the heavy-lifting between the pipes as the Mustangs tried to capitalize but failed. Brandon Wagler was superb playing shorthanded and helped to ensure his team stay in front going into the third. It was fast and desperate war on ice that the Dogs were determined to win. The finisher came late when Gingerich won his own face-off draw and backhanded it past the Mustang goalie. The second 2 – 0 shutout-win came at a price however. Gerber would be sidelined for the semi-final game with an injury sustained in the third frame and he would be sorely missed when the Huskies faced the Beverly Bandits later that morning. Penalties and injuries were again the nemesis of the Huskies as the Bandits cranked in two goals in the first while the Dogs only answered with one. Gingerich put one by the Bandit goalie with Houle getting the helper. It didn’t get easier in the second as Beverly found the mark 3 more times with Huskies bagging one on a late power-play. Addley did the damage with Ross getting the helper on the play. Exhaustion played a part in the next two Bandit goals that left the Huskies in a very deep hole. Not giving up, Addley tallied on an end-to-end rush with Saunders getting the assist. The final Husky point came late when Houle’s backhand made the most of Shannon’s pass. It wasn’t enough and the 7 – 4 loss meant a trip to the finals was not in the cards. It was a very respectable tournament showing and an equally respectable finish to their hockey season. Making the memories this year were coaching staff: Duane Gingerich, Duane Houle, Mark Naylor, Mike Stone and Albert Ross. The Huskies are: Cam Gingerich, Owen Houle, Damian Naylor, Wyatt Stone, Connor Ross, Sean Boake, Andrew Just, Canden Addley, Trent Reinhart, Colin Shannon, Mike Glauser, Nathan Gerber, Dylan Hempey, Austin Hartman, Liam Saunders, Wyatt Whitby, Brandon Wagler, Mike Thrush and Bailey Zehr.