AND DOMINATE THE ST MARYS TOURNAMENT GOING UNDEFEATED.
The ST THOMAS PEEWEE AE TEAM had a plan win one shift and one period at a time and keep playing until the buzzer went. It just can’t be said enough – TEAM PLAY is the key to the boy’s success. The great end to end play is with reliance on their TEAMMATES to be there and count on them when needed to step up and make the plays. The PEEWEE AE boys not only have a winning combination on the ice but are having a lot of fun with their friends doing what they love to do. All of the games had the STARS FANS cheering with excitement. The STARS never gave up, they kept the pressure going with great hockey whether they were up in the game or down by a goal. If the TEAM was down, they battled even harder to achieve the next goal.
GAME 1 – ST THOMAS - 4-0 WIN OVER ST MARYS ROCK
GAME 2 – ST THOMAS – 6-2 WIN OVER HESPELER SHAMROCKS
GAME 3 – ST THOMAS – 2-1 WIN OVER WEST LONDON HAWKS
SEMI – ST THOMAS – 4-2 WIN OVER BELMONT RANGERS
FINAL – ST THOMAS – 5-2 WIN OVER STRATHROY ROCKETS
In the STARS opening game of the St Marys Tournament the boys beat the host team 4-0. Again pressure and TEAM play and puck movement was the key to success for the STARS. Chris Wood walks away from the game with another stellar shut out. Woody was always just in the right place to either bat a puck away or to smother it to frustrate the Rocks’ offense. Chris had a hot glove hand in this game and used the butterfly position to trap and hold shots coming at him. Game 3 and the FINALS were the same solid style of play for Chris having the hottest glove hand of the tourney.
The defense was up to exceptional form in this game. Not only did they control the play along each blue line and kept the pressure up holding St Marys in their own end but they put a tremendous amount of black marks on the goalie. Getting 2 of the 4 goals for the STARS was Ash O’Connor with two blistering shots as Ash walked in from the blue towards the net, fired and thru traffic the puck had the red lights flashing in the Rocks’ end. David DaCosta had an exceptional game tying up his men along the blue line trapping the puck in the neutral ice and delivery some solid checks. Caden Beshara and Carson Nurse were doing the same thing shooting from the blue line, clearing the puck and blocking shots going to the net. On a power play, Noah Dos Santos spun around the defense, moving to open ice and passed over to Joey Hardy. Joey wound up and found the top corner to increase the STARS lead. Shooting from the blue line again, Noah Allen hit the net the Rock goalie saved it and then Jake Gillis banged at it the goalie made another save, but Jake stayed with the puck and got his own rebound to lift it over the goalie shoulder. Sam Graham went from end to end setting up plays and getting to the net for the STARS, Sam got many of the STARS rushes going by clearing the puck up the boards to the open wingers.
Game 2 and the SEMI had the rock-hard goaltending of Matt Beckwith to frustrate the opposition. Matt was the force and cheer leader of the team on the ice. In game 2 with Hespeler pressuring and coming in from the side of the net Matt waited and then did a perfect poke check to steer the puck away from the net ensuring the STARS lead. Game 2 had the STARS down by 1 in the beginning of the first period and it was Sam Hardy who got the PEEWEE AE TEAM going as Hespeler made a bad clearing attempt and turned the puck over to Sam. Sam weaved thru and lifted it in.
Cameron Douglas not only getting 4 goals in the tourney and a ton of assists put on a puck clinic that that made the oppositions frustrated and the STARS fans go wild during penalty kills. Cameron stick handled back and forth, trapped the puck on the boards and just consumed the time on the clock. There were so many cheering fans; I thought Cameron would take a bow at the end of the shift. Noah DosSantos had some great moves on the ice; one play he held onto the puck to keep the STARS onside, then walked around the defense, waited for the goalie to make a move and then shot it in to the top corner. Denys Reid used the ice from end to end and getting into position in front of the net. Denys got a couple of goals in the tournament, one of the most memorable was in the GREAT BATTLE of WEST LONDON HAWKS where Deny got the STARS to the early lead on a chip shot to the short side.
Josh Hare with a couple of goals and assists had a great series. In the FINAL, Josh grabbed the last goal on a bad change up by the Rockets and he pounded on the puck and slid it under the unaware goalie and with just seconds to run down the clock the STARS couldn’t wait to celebrate. Ryan Payne was once again the “centre of attention” winning almost all of the draws he attended for the STARS.
Not to be out done in the puck handling clinic. Zack Banks controlled the puck on the penalty kill against the Hawks. Zack ducked and weaved with the puck deep in the Hawks end making each one of them turn in the wrong direction. Zack was instrumental in keeping the puck and the pressure of the STARS in the offensive end. In the FINALS the STAR that stole the show was Joey Hardy getting to the net, whether from behind it on a wrap around, or going coast to coast when the STARS were down two men on penalties. Joey got the game winning HAT TRICK of the series on the STARS penalty kill.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT THE STARS SHONE BRIGHTLY THIS WEEKEND!!!!
GREAT TO SEE YOUR SMILES BOYS!!!
GO STARS!!!! YOU ARE CHAMPS!!!!