– THE PEEWEE AE TEAM PROVE THAT THEY ARE NO ORDINARY AE TEAM GOING 4-0
The ST THOMAS PEEWEE AE STARS had tremendous pride in their TEAM and played with heart and soul for their jersey colours in winning the Blenheim Tournament. Not only did they win the TOURNAMENT TROPHY FOR THE TOP TEAM BUT THEY WON THE MOST SPORTSMAN TROPHY FOR THE TEAM WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PENALTIES. Talk about a well disciplined, focused team. In this tournament the STARS BOYS played their best hockey of the season. Every STAR player stepped up their game and together with their high energy play, team spirit and a passion to win overcame all expectations, and the result was a complete TEAM victory.
The STARS were well up to the challenge using their strengths of passing, penalty kill and getting to the net to outplay their opponents. Winning the Blenheim Tournament was just not a great experience for the boys, but for COACH CHRIS SANFORD as well. Blenheim is COACH CHRIS’s hometown and old stomping grounds, where he played. He takes great pride in his team and in his boys and this victory was a great experience to share with the STARS team. Never giving up on any play, using all of their heart pumping pressure to keep the puck in the offensive end and relying on their teammates to be in position were the key building blocks for the STARS success.
GAME 1 – 5-3 win over Lambeth Lancers
The opening game saw one of the best performances by the STARS team to date. The Lambeth squad came to play and so did the STARS. The STARS team out-skated, out-shot and won the battles for puck possession. Matt Beckwith had the best performance of his career, as he faced the flying rubber from the Lancers forwards. Matt wanted shots in this game and he got them. Matt was on his game and whether it was a sprawling side to side save, or the stay square and kick out the pad for the period saving play, he lead the team to the points. One of Matt’s best saves of the game was on a break away by the Lambeth forward. Matt came out for the challenge, poke checked the puck away and then got back into position to stop the next blast.
Jake Gillis made his return to the ice and got right back into the play, getting pucks at the net and creating chances for the STARS. Denys Reid, Sam Hardy and Ryan Payne teamed up and sent attack after attack at the Lancers end. Ryan sprang Sam Hardy open on the wing where he split the defense and drove to the net, but the Lancers goalie made a great save. The 1st period ended in a draw and then the Lancers got to the scoreboard early in the second. The STARS came right back and tied it up. Zack Banks; “ZACHMO”; tipped in a low shot from the defenseman, Carson Nurse. Lambeth took the lead again, but with the crowd cheering “ZACHMO”, Zack lit up the goalie again, slapping a quick pass from Joey Hardy to the short side of the net. Joey then gave the STARS the lead in the 2nd, as he grabbed the rebound from behind the net and squeezed it in. The 3rd period was all STARS as Zack got the hat trick and added a forth; one from a pass out from behind the net by Noah Dos Santos and the other from a break out pass from Carson. Zack speeded down the ice to beat the defense and placed a spectacular back handed shot to the top corner.
GAME 2 – 4-0 win over Kincardine Kinucks
To keep the goaltending brothers up to match, Chris Wood equally had one of his best games, coming away with this shutout against Kincardine. No matter where the puck was near the net, Woody sprang, dove, twisted and came away with the puck in his possession. Kincardine gave it all they had as it was a draw thru the first two periods. Then period 3 saw the STARS go supernova. Cameron Douglas gave a cross ice pass to Joey Hardy. Joey lifted it and it just tumbled thru the air into the back of the net. Zach Banks found open ice again and had a breakaway down the left to score. Sam Hardy and Denys Reid kept banning the puck at the goalie and on the third attempt Noah Dos Santos stepped in and drove it home. It was also the third charm for Cameron Douglas as he kept getting the puck back from the goalie and then buried it past the shoulder to end the game. Noah Allen had the Kinucks frustrated at both ends of the ice as he kept the puck in the offensive end and kept clearing it out of the defensive end not allowing a shot by them.
GAME 3 – 4-2 win over the Ingersoll Express to advance to the GOLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Again Matt Beckwith lead the team to the victory as Matt faced not only once, but six time the Ingersoll offense splitting the STARS defense to get to the net, but Matt was always there to make the saves and gaining points for the STARS. The first period ended in a draw, with both teams getting points. David DaCosta and Ash O’Connor shut down the neutral zone and bottled up the blue lines so that their offense could not control the play. Caden Beshara blasted a high shot off the back boards and Cameron Douglas banked the rebound off the boards and in. Sam Graham and Ash O’Connor shut down all power play attempts by the Express, not allowing them anywhere near the net. Cameron got another for the STARS as he redirected Noah Allen’s shot at the net. Ingersoll came within one, but Josh Hare found the five hole on the goalie and slid it home. The coffin was laid to rest as Cameron not only hit the empty net but got a hat trick with the last goal of the game.
GOLD CHAMPIONSHIP – 2-1 OT win over Port Dover Pirates
The Championship game was the best game of the series, with both teams wanting the victory and never giving up. The STARS FANS were treated to an amazing game of back and forth play. At times the STARS dominated and then Port Dover commanded the play.
Woody had another stellar performance in net keeping the STARS TEAM in all the way. Just as the fans were about to fall out of their seats as Port Dover was about to score and win the tourney, Chris made the save of the game to keep the STARS hopes alive. Late in the 3rd period, with Port Dover pressuring, Chris was beat on the opposite side of the net but then kicked out his skate and directed the puck away from the open side of the net.
At first, it looked like it was going to be a complete domination by the STARS as Zack Banks, Josh Hare and Jake Gillis drove to the net and in the first 20 seconds of the clock Zack whipped a knuckle ball towards the net and with the first shot of the game had the STARS ahead. Port Dover shook it off and the play was even. Port Dover came close and with the puck sitting inches from the goal line, Caden Beshara cleared it to open ice. Sam Hardy had one solid game out on the ice. Sam back checked and opened play after play towards the Pirates end. Sam and Ryan Payne were buzzing around the open sides of the net but the Pirate’s goalie was not budging. On the next play, the Pirates tied it up in the second period. The third period was even again with both teams having chances to end it. Cheering was going on by both teams fans. Both teams were evenly matched and the third period ended sending the championship game into sudden death overtime. With both teams again having chances and being even it looked like it may go on a few more periods. Then as the old saying goes, “good things happen when you put the puck at the net”, ZACHMO, the hero of the hour sent a puck bouncing at the net with 1 minute 3 seconds left in the first OT period and it bounced right past the goalie into the open space. Zack Banks had the winning OT goal. The ST THOMAS STARS TEAM came out in full force and celebrated the well earned Championship hoisting the cup.
Even though it is hard to write about every play that was made, every STARS TEAM PLAYER contributed to the TEAM, making the STARS the CHAMPIONS of the Blenheim Tournament.
The ST THOMAS PEEWEE AE STARS TEAM would like to thank the organizers and volunteers of the Blenheim Golden Acres Tournament for putting on such an excellent event. We truly enjoyed all the activities.
GREAT JOB BOYS!!!
WHAT A GREAT TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!
GO STARS!!!!