The Nes-Tech Minor Peewee MD Warriors played solid and gritty hockey to take home silver at the John MacDonald tournament in St. Catharines.
Game 1: Nes-Tech Warriors 3, Brantford 2
The Warriors came ready to play Friday morning, scoring in the first period to take an early 1-0 lead. Ethan Boersma scored the first goal of the tournament by blocking a shot from a Brantford defenceman and scoring on the ensuing break-away. That seemed to set the pace for the rest of the game. The Warriors showed grit and worked hard the rest of the way to take the game. Corey Van Nes added to the lead in the second period when he tipped in a pass from Maddox Keller. Brantford scored their first goal of the game in the second period, but it was too little too late as Ethan Boersma scored early in the third for his second of the game to give the Warriors the insurance goal. Brock Barclay played great in net, making some key saves to get the win. "That was a great way to start the tournament", said head coach Terry Soper. "We worked hard - which is what we have to do in order to do well this weekend".
Game 2: Nes-Tech Warriors 4, Milton 1
Jacob Bossence opened the scoring for the Warriors early in the first period, once again giving a lift to the team and setting the pace for the rest of the game. "The first goal is always the most important", said assistant coach Steve Eidt. "It pumped the kids up and gave them some confidence early on". Maddox Keller scored his first of the tournament to give the Warriors a two-goal lead, which would eventually end up the winner. Keller banged the puck past the Milton goaltender on a rebound from a great shot at the point by Owen Akey. "That was a great shot", said Soper, "which gave our forwards a chance to bang it home". The Warriors put it away in the second with Jacob Bossence scoring his second of the game and Brody Jeffrey closing the door for good. Matthew Trachsel had two assits in the game, with James Koch, Cameron Hahn, and Nathan Cardoso also having assists. Goal-tending was once again stellar, with Tallyn Soper getting the win for the Warriors.
Game 3: Nes-Tech Warriors 6, St. Catharines 0
the Warriors played spoilers to the hosts in this game, winning in convincing fashion. Hard work, once again, was the difference in the game. "That is our game, to outwork the other team and win those battles. If we continue to do that, we are going to have a successful season", mentioned Soper after the game. James Koch opened the scoring in this one mid-way through the first, and added to his total with a great short-handed effort 5 minutes later. Ethan Boersma continued his great play all weekend, scoring his third of the tournament, with Nicholas McCabe, Jackson Nickel, and Sam Gerber also adding goals. Trachsel, Gerber, Cardoso, and Jeffrey had assists. Defence was spectacular in this game, allowing only a handful of shots the entire game. Cameron Hahn, Spencer Eidt, Ethan Skinner, Matthew Trachsel, Sam Gerber and Owen Akey played very well on defence contributing to Brock Barclay's shutout. "That was a great all-around hockey game. Defence, offence, goaltending, hard work. It all paid off", said super-fan Todd Nickel.
Game 4: Nes-Tech Warriors 3, Oakville 1
Game 4 was the game that the Warriors needed to win to head into the final on Sunday. Once again, the Warriors opened the scoring to take an early lead and control over the game. Keller hit home a rebound after shots from Jeffrey and Van Nes. Jeffrey added to the lead in the second period on a power-play, with Nickel netting the insurance goal late in the third. Jeffrey had two assists in the game, with Jackson, Van Nes and Boersma also getting points. Tallyn Soper played an exceptional game in net, making sure that the Warriors were going to be in the final. Defence, once again, was strong for the Warriors. "That was the type of game we had to play to get to the finals and to keep the momentum going", trainer Kevin Koch said after the game.
Finals: North London Nationals 1, Nes-Tech Warriors 0.
The Warriors met league rivals, the London Nationals in the championship game on Sunday. It was a very tight game, with both teams battling hard since the drop of the puck. The Warriors played and fought hard, sticking to what gave them success all weekend long. However, it was the Nationals that came out on top with the only goal of the game which was scored on a great shot from close range in the second period. The Warriors battled hard though, and did not give up. They battled right to the sound of the buzzer, with many scoring opportunities in the third period. "We just couldn't find the back of the net", mentioned team Manager Jeff Keller. "Although the kids were disappointed with the result, they held their heads high, as they should have." Everyone was on their feet throughout the entire game. "That was a great hockey game", mentioned coach Soper after the game. "You guys played hard - defence, offence, goaltending. It was all there. You never gave up, and that is what we love to see. Hold your heads high", he told the team after the game.
All-around, it was a great weekend for the Nes-Tech Warriors, giving the team some momentum going into a busy part of the season.