Jan 18, 2015 | Don Bush | 1288 views
Great Lakes Cup AAA Champs
The Kitchener Minor
Peewee AA Jr. Rangers completed a very successful weekend of hockey
on Saturday by capturing the “B” Championship at the Huron Perth
Lakers Great Lakes Cup AAA Tournament held in Stratford Ontario.
This was another busy weekend of hockey for the boys, playing five games in two days against some of the toughest AAA competition in Ontario and Upstate New York.
In the opening game we faced off against the Elgin Middlesex Chiefs. The Chiefs put the pressure on right away and within minutes the score was 3-0 in their favour. From that point on, it was all Rangers - pinning the Chiefs in their zone for the better part of the match. Although we struggled to find the back of the net - hitting several posts and crossbars, and firing pucks into the goalies' chest, the final shot tally was convincingly in our favour. This one however, would go to the Chiefs, 5-2.
The Friday afternoon match-up pitted the Rangers against the Southern Tier Admirals. After taking a quick 2-0 lead early into the second frame, the Rangers fell into penalty trouble and lost by a heartbreaking 3-2 squeaker.
With some reflection, lessons learned and a good nights sleep - the third game challenger on Saturday morning was the Cambridge Hawks. This was yet another fast paced game with non-stop action and strong physical play by both teams. The final score would end in a 0-0 stalemate and secure a ticket to the B-side Semi-Finals against the Grey Bruce Highlanders.
After a hearty lunch and long delay, the puck would finally drop. By the end of the second period, it was 3-0 Rangers - who cashed in on a penalty shot, an even strength goal and a power-play marker. The speedy Highlanders never quit though - tying the game with seven seconds remaining in the third. Five minutes of thrilling, scoreless, 4 on 4 sudden death overtime provided no clear winner, so onto the shootout, where the Rangers sealed the victory. For the books, a 4-3 win (our 50th of the season).
In the Championship game, the Rangers final foe was a very skilled (top 20 AAA ranked) Oakville squad. The Rangers came out of the gate sluggish, and Oakville pressed hard but could not solve the Rangers net-minder. Enter the second period, and in a recurring theme of the season, the boys showed that there is no quit in them and pulled together with a renewed sense of urgency, finally finding their legs. The Rangers opponents were on their heels, and our boys struck hard - notching goal number one halfway into the second frame and then again midway through the third, to take control of the game. Despite a late charge, the Rangers hung on for a 2-1 win to capture the title.
Another fun and exciting weekend of hockey for the Minor Peewee AA Jr. Rangers and their families, and an excellent result at the end of it!
It is truly amazing what can happen when a team believes in themselves...
Well done boys!