Oktoberfest celebrations in our area were once again marked by
thousands of visitors, dozens of family and cultural events, Canada’s best
Thanksgiving Day parade, and a visit this year from Ron MacLean and Hometown
Hockey. It was also the time when
Kitchener Minor Hockey hosted its annual Kitchener Oktoberfest Tournament. Eleven teams participated in the Atom AAA
division this year, with a strong contingent vying to call themselves
Oktoberfest Champions.
Our Jr. Rangers would leave nothing to chance in the pool play, running the table with decisive victories over the Southern Tier Admirals (6-0), Peterborough Petes (5-1), Hamilton Huskies (6-3) and finally the Ajax/Pickering Raiders (3-0). The Jr. Rangers finished pool play with a 4-0 record and an impressive twenty goals for and four against! In the semi-final game, Kitchener faced a hard skating, talented group from Sault Ste. Marie. Kitchener skated to an early 3-0 lead, but the Soo never gave up, scoring two goals in the final minute to set up a tense finish!
The Sunday afternoon final at the Activa Arena saw a full house come out to cheer on our Rangers against a tough Niagara North Stars team that had also gone 5-0 in the tournament. The Gold Medal game was fast paced, with end to end action including close chances for both sides. Strong goaltending helped to keep it a close affair. A first period goal for Niagara put the pressure on the Jr. Rangers. The team responded by throwing everything they could at the net while outshooting the North Stars, but their goaltender, who would be the eventual game MVP, stood tall. Despite a flurry of activity around the Niagara net in the final minute, the North Stars made their one goal advantage hold up for an eventual 1-0 victory.
Although disappointed they did not win gold and collect the one piece Bauer sticks that they hoped to bring home - the Jr. Rangers held their heads high with silver medals around their necks. A strong five win performance, along with a tough 1-0 loss in an exciting final made for a great weekend of hockey and a memorable end to Oktoberfest celebrations.