ALLIANCE BRISTOL MINOR ATOM A PLAYOFF CHAMPIONS FOR 2011/12 -
ST THOMAS MINOR ATOM JR STARS KINSMEN TEAM ST THOMAS MINOR ATOM JR STARS TEAM defeated the Oakridge Aeros 3 games to 1 to take the coveted championship. It was a fantastic way to end such a successful season for the boys. They saved their best hockey for the end of the season going 8-1. Overall the TEAM had a really successful year on the ice with a record of 31-19-7 for game stats, including a GOLD medal in the MOTOWN CUP SERIES in Detroit and going into the semi-finals in the Wayne Gretzky Tournament in Brantford.
What was so great about the ending Championship was the play of all the STARS TEAM. They came out with the focus and desire to play as a TEAM. Production in points or hard working efforts in defensive play was carried out by all players together. Passing, shooting, driving up the boards was all in the STARS arsenal to battle the Aeros.
In game 1, Maclane Stringle played his best game of the season, stopping the onslaught of the Aeros players. Maclane came out to challenge a 2 on 1, stayed with the player with the puck and then slid across the crease to stop the pass and the shooter on the far side. Ryan Bonter had only 2 goals against him for the finals and no doubt about it; Ryan kept the team in the game with that great save in the final game, where Oakridge was about to put it in, but he reached back and snagged the puck before it reached the line. Oakridge kept up the pace and the pressure but Ryan faced all of then down and no other pucks were going to go in.
For the opening 4-1 dominating win for the STARS that just startled the Aeros players, the STARS played one of their best TEAM games of the season with hard pressure to the opponents net. Hunter Nurse started the rush up the centre, passing off to Jayce Smith; Jayce found Keavan Milmine at the side of the net and Keavan got the STARS on the board. Colton Wiacek fed a shot from the blue line to the net, where Ethan Miron tipped it in fooling the Aeros goalie. Jack Pigram and Kyle Wiebe were passing from one to the other and then fed a speedy James Martin, who wristed another in. Ensuring the STARS victory, Jeff Carr sped down the wing, passed off the boards to Hunter Nurse, who passed out to Jayce Smith. Jayce found the empty side of the net as he took aim and sent the puck to the back of the net.
Game 2 – It was all Jack Pigram getting both of the STARS goals to get the 2-1 victory. Kyle Wiebe and Brennen Smith passed from across the net to Jack, he wound up and put it right in. For Jack’s second of the night he grabbed a rebound from Colton Wiacek and the STARS rode the wave to another victory. Oakridge started to look alive and came out with just an evenly solid effort of the STARS. But still the STARS commanded the play in the offensive end. Josh Niles and Mike Roth fought and battled for puck control in the corners and at the blue line frustrating the Aeros play. Evan Clarke forced players wide and made them turn over the puck as he controlled the play. Brennen Smith and Brennan Bradley were setting up play after play in front of Oakridge’s goaltender, but somehow the puck would not go in. The STARS were going for the sweep, but Oakridge was not going to roll over and play dead.
Game 3 – STARS were just not the same team, with the delay at the beginning and Oakridge found their next gear and controlled the game until the third period. The STARS started the comeback, but being down 3-0 it was going to be a hard hill to climb. Hunter Nurse crossed from side to side receiving the pass from Kyle Wiebe and Jack Pigram and netted the first goal for the TEAM. The next play afterwards, Mike Roth made a play up the boards to Jayce Smith; Jayce made a few moves on the opposition and then teamed up with Keavan Milmine where he drilled another in. The STARS TEAM kept up the pressure but it was a little too late and the period came to an end.
Game 4 – Both teams wanted the win and both came to play. This game was a war from the beginning, lasting until the final buzzer. The STARS found themselves down by one in the first period on a fluky deflection goal by the Aeros. The boys kept battling and battling. Ethan Georgijev, Ethan Miron and Brennan Bradley kept getting to the net and creating chances but the Aeros goalie was not budging. The STARS took almost a whole period of penalties in the game, but with the hard penalty kill of Brennen Smith, Ethan Miron, Josh Niles, Evan Clarke and Colton Wiacek they defended off all the 2 minute plays. Finally half way thru the third period, Hunter Nurse fed as puck from behind the net to Keavan Milmine. Keavan got all of his stick on it and it was now a tied game with 8 minutes to play. 2 minutes later with a huge scramble of players and puck just in front of the net, with the puck in everyone’s skates and no one could get a stick on it, Colton Wiacek came skating in hard from the blue line and wristed it past the screened Aeros goalie and the STARS had the lead and the momentum to finish the game.
Congratulations to the ST THOMAS MINOR ATOM CHAMPS!!!!!
The STARS BOYS would also like to thank all of the coaches for your hard work and dedication and never giving up. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US SUCH A GREAT SEASON OF MEMORIES!!!
Special thanks to Laura Bonter, our DRY LAND TRAINER – thank you for putting us thru our paces and making us a stronger team.
GO STARS!!!!!!!!!