The Stratford Holloway Automotive Minor Atoms competed in the St. Thomas Minor Hockey tournament this past week-end.
In the opening game, the team faced The Amherstburg Stars. Stratford outplayed their opponent but fell short losing 1-0. Jesse Merkel played well in net and Colton Kuepfer was MVP.
Stratford came out strong in their second game against Owen Sound Attack, scoring 4 goals in the first period enroute to a 6-1 vicotry. Nathaniel Smith had 2 goals and 1 assist, Beckham McLeod had 1 goal and 2 assists, Ethan Plotnik had 1 goal and 1 assist, Ryan Haines and Mark Pyzowski each scored 1. Andrew Leitch and Quinn Appel both had assists. Nathan Gibb and Kaleb Martin played well defensively while Koen Gerber was strong in net and earned the game MVP.
In game three, Stratford faced St. Thomas. Despite their 2-0 lead entering the third period, the team fell 4-2.
Pyzowski had 1 goal and an assist, Haines had 1 goal, and Brett Knechtel had 2 assists. Eric Haynes worked hard on defense. Ryan Haines was named game MVP.
Stratford once again played St. Thomas in the semi-finals. Despite a very strong effort, the team suffered a 2-1 loss. Haines had the lone goal, assisted by Colten Kuepfer. Gabe Emms and Marek Carter worked hard to create offensive opportunities. Pyzowski was named game MVP.
The boys should be very proud as they played 4 strong games during the tournament. The team looks to continue that momentum into the remainder of the season.