Nov 01, 2010 | tmacmillan | 1273 views
Silver Stick Tournament Recap
The Minor Atom Jr. Stars traveled to Woodstock for the annual regional International Silver Stick qualifying tournament. After coming up short in the first 2 games, the Jr. Stars rebounded in game 3 to registered a win. Although the single win wasn't enough to carry our team past the round robin, it did restore some confidence that was missing earlier in the day.
Game 1 vs. the Riverside Rangers saw our Jr. Stars get off to a slow start. Our team was not prepared for Riverside's speed and determination for the puck which lead to us falling behind 3-0 after the 1st. Realizing they were facing a battle, St. Thomas began to pull things together in the 2nd. With a backhand to the top corner by Miles V. and Chase C.'s shot takig a lucky bounce off the goalie's stick, the Jr. Stars closed to within a goal. Both teams had their chances in the 3rd but as we began to mount our attack, Riverside scored with 1:44 remaining to put overtime and a chance for the complete comeback out of reach.
For Game 2 we drew the Burlington Bulldogs. Our opponents came out fast and strong, catching out team off guard. Burlington shot out to a 2 goal lead before St. Thomas started to come alive. A total of 5 goals were scored in the first with the 3-2 advantage going to Burlington. St.Thomas goals coming from Russell O. and Drake H., with Mason N. and Tristan C. registering assists on the first. The 2rd period was scoreless. Building on the momentum of stronger play, St.Thomas drew even just 0:09 into the 3rd with an unassisted goal by Russell O. The Bulldogs bit right back, 0:15 after our goal to retake the lead. Burlington went on to scored 2 more in the 3rd and hand St. Thomas a 6-3 loss, our second of the day.
Knowing we were eliminated from the playoff round, Game 3 was all about pride. Unfortunately another slow start saw us fall behind early in the 1st when the North London Nationals scored just 2:08 into the contest. Not wanting to face another loss, the Jr. Stars stepped it up and started to play with some energy and passion. Things that had been missing all day. Brad V. tied the game by tipping a shot from JD J. up and over the London goalie. The extra assist going to Harrison B. With less 2:00 remaining in the period, Tyler M. tallied, giving us our first lead of the day. Tyler M. registered twice more in the 3rd including a quick shot after winning a face off deep in London's end to complete the hat trick and secure a 4-1 victory for St.Thomas.
A strong victory to end our day proves never give up and always try your best. The tough lessons today were that starting strong, and playing strong for every minute of every game are 2 very big keys to success.