Written by Dave Graff. The SMHA Cherry Bus Lines Minor Bantam rep team is
continuing to make silver their medal of choice as a 5-0 run to the final of
the Oshawa Cup ended with a heart breaking 2-1 triple overtime loss to
Woodstock in the Championship game of the single A tournament in Oshawa over
the weekend.
In a wide open, loose officiated and hard hitting game the score remained 1-1 at the end of regulation thanks to some stellar goaltending especially from Tallyn Soper in the Warrior goal who time and again made great saves to prevent the Navy Vets from going ahead before the third period ended. Caleb Musselman opened the scoring on the first shift of the game after some great work down low, with Carter Musselman and Zach Carman assisting. After four on four and three on three overtime periods solved nothing the two on two overtime period started with Caleb Musselman and Patrick Holloway creating some chances that were turned aside by the Woodstock netminder. Next Jack Whitehead and Brady Ballantyne also sustained some offensive zone pressure but before they could work the puck to the scoring area a fortunate bounce for the Navy Vets sent a player on a rink long break away. Despite stopping an earlier overtime break away, Soper was unable to get all of this one and the puck slid through blocker side for the tourney winner. Soper finished with 28 saves to earn player of the game for the silver medalists.
In semi-final action the line of Curtis Taylor, Erik Smith and Braydon Tinning scored directly off of end zone face offs twice with Taylor sniping both top shelf to cement a 5-1 win over Burlington. Connor Loerzel, Carter Musselman and Ballantyne also scored. Smith and Patrick Holloway had two assists each while Caelan Trupp, Carman and Ben ten Hag had one each.
The Warriors started the round robin with a 3-1 over host Oshawa. Ballantyne, Carter Musselman and Carman scored. Caleb Musselman had two helpers while Maverick Mulder and Nathan Graff had one each.
In game two against Nepean the Warriors turned a sluggish effort for two periods into a route with five third period goals in a 7-1 victory. ten Hag had the hat trick for the winners while Holloway, Taylor and Caleb Musselman tallied one each. Whitehead added two assists while Owen Fraser, Graff and Smith added one each.
Saturday saw two more wins the first a 6-1 win over Ottawa Osgoode. ten Hag and Caleb Musselman paced the offense with two goals each while Carter Musselman and Carman added singles. Carman, Holloway, Ballantyne and Caleb Musselman also added two assists.
To complete the round robin the Warriors turned in their best effort of the first four games routing Ajax 7-0. Nolan Traynor turned in the second of three good performances in the tournament earning the shutout in goal. ten Hag again scored twice with Carter Musselman, Ballantyne, Loerzel, Holloway and Caleb Musselman adding one each. Holloway added three helpers while Carman, Trupp, Whitehead and Graff chipped in with one a piece.