Stratford’s Hockey Training Above Tier III Novices kicked off the New Year by competing in the Annual Hawks Cup in Mitchell. The team played four very closely matched games. On Thursday they lost their first match 2-0 to the host team, Mitchell. Owen Gaylor, Nathan Gibb, and Gabe Emms all worked hard for Stratford.
On Friday, the novices played three games. They were first defeated 4-3 by the BCH Ice Dogs. Isaac Nickel scored two goals, Gabe Emms had a goal and an assist, Ryan Haines and Quinn Appel each had one assist. Kaleb Martin and Noah Roth provided solid defensive play.
The team next faced an undefeated Milverton squad. After battling back and forth, the final result was a 0-0 tie. Josh Duiker and Jeremy Dakin-Brown were outstanding in net and Eric Haynes was strong on defense.
In the consolation final, the novices once again faced the BCH Ice Dogs. The end result was a 3-1 loss. Gabe Emms scored the lone goal, assisted by Ryan Haines. Josh Duiker, Jeremy Dakin-Brown and Eric Haynes again provided solid play for Stratford.