Midget LL2 Huskies Crowned League Champions!, News, Midget LL2, U18, 2015-2016 (New Hamburg Hockey Association)

This Team is part of the 2015-2016 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Mar 12, 2016 | Albert Ross | 1539 views
Midget LL2 Huskies Crowned League Champions!
The New Hamburg Huskies Midget LL2s have claimed the Grand River Local League Championship! It was a stunning 3-game series comeback performance that began with heartbreak on Sunday March 6 when the Dogs hosted the Beverly Bandits LL1. Having secured the top slot in the round-robins, the Huskies hoped to use home-ice advantage for game one and come away with a win. 

It looked like that might happen after Josh Potts notched a pair of goals by the second frame getting help from Connor Ross, Mike Thrush and Colin Shannon but Beverly pushed back. With 1:13 left in the game, the Pack still held a 2 - 1 lead but disaster struck. Two quick goals and an empty-netter sealed a 4 – 2 loss leaving the Dogs stunned. They’re next task was a do-or-die win in Beverly on March 9, a rink in which the Huskies had yet to record a win that season. Beverly was unprepared for the fury the Huskies unleashed. The Pack drove the net hard and posted the first goal halfway through the period when Connor Ross blasted one in from the point getting help from his brother Owen. Potts upped the ante in the final second of the first period with Thrush and Owen Ross assisting. The Bandits were given no respite in the second. This time it was Mason Wagner beating the goalie from the point with Dale Jurica and Thrush getting in on the fun. Beverly finally answered minutes later but it failed to turn the tide. Driving the net Connor Ross tipped in a shot from Wagner to re-instate the 3-goal lead. The Bandits were desperate and briefly rallied with another goal early in the third but it was to be their last. Colton Holba remained sharp in net, turning back 3 key chances before the Dogs turned it around. A scrum in front of the Beverly net-minder saw the puck deflect off a defender into his own net. Matt Sommerville collected the goal on the play with Dan O’Connell assisting. Holba battened down the hatches on two more Bandit rushes before they pulled their goalie in desperation. The ploy failed and Potts sealed the 6 – 2 series-tying win on a empty net with Thrush backing him up. The Dogs returned to New Hamburg the next night where the championship would be decided. With the crown up for grabs, the Pack wasted no time in posting the first point with only 30 seconds elapsed. Connor Ross, working with Thrush drove the net and beat the goalie in a stunning breakout play. The momentum was all on the Husky side as they continued the offensive zone pressure. The pay-off came when Thrush, working hard behind the net, fed the puck to Potts in front who made no mistake. The Bandits shook it off and went on the offensive when the Dogs were cited for body contact. Holba came up big in the final minute, denying the opposition to keep his team in front. The physical aspect of the game went up noticeably in the second with both teams parading to the penalty box. The visitors came out better during 4-on-4 action and tallied at the halfway mark. Their celebration was short as the Huskies roared back a minute later. O’Connell found Owen Ross open on the point who wasted no time teeing it up. Cole Hutchison finished the mission and deflected it past the goalie to restore the 2-point lead. The Bandits failed to recover and the Dogs dominated the third period, smelling victory. Cycling plays by Wyatt Rempel, Potts and Connor Ross and hard fore checking by Brandon Wagler, O’Connell and Thrush proved too much for Beverly. They pulled their goalie with a minute left but it backfired. Sommerville broke hard for the net and followed the puck into the rigging to seal the 4 – 1 win. It was a tremendous back-to-back series winning effort that sees a team from New Hamburg winning the second Grand River Local League Championship in the last 3 years. The Huskies roster of Austin Hartman, Colton Holba, Cole Hutchison, Dale Jurica, Rhett Miller, Dan O’Connell, Josh Potts, Wyatt Rempel, Connor Ross, Owen Ross, Colin Shannon, Matt Sommerville, Mike Thrush, Brandon Wagler and Mason Wagner along with coaching staff Dan O’Connell, Jeff Dahmer, James Sommerville, Albert Ross and Paul Holba would like to thank the parents, families and friends that supported the team this season. Victory would not have been possible without it.