On Friday night the Stratford Warrior Minor Bantam team headed to Woodstock to play their opening game of the 2019 International Silver Stick – Regional.
The boys squared off against the Woodstock Navy Jets who had bested the Warriors when they last met a few weeks ago and the Warriors had some unfinished business to attend to.
From the first face off on the Olympic sized ice, both teams came out with great speed and control. Woodstock would open the scoring but Stratford responded with Cole Humphrey shooting one over the goalie’s blocker to tie it up. Stratford shifted into high gear after that and a long shot from Jericho McNichol would find its way to the back of the net. Next, Jackson Campbell would capture a rebound in the slot and nail a slapper to make it 3-1. Halfway through the second frame, the Navy Jets netted a couple quick ones to tie it up and then the intensity of the game grew and the period ended with both teams having players in the time out box. After a flood, the third period started with both teams working hard to kill the penalties and get back to full strength. With a scramble at the Woodstock net, Quinn Appel shoots one past the netminder for the go-ahead goal. With Stratford on a roll, a rebound made it to Dylan Fischer and buried a goal, soon after Fischer snagged another goal. In the last 26 seconds of the game Cole Humphrey took a close-range shot to net his second goal of the night. With all players on point and Jesse Merkel making incredible saves between the pipes, Stratford Warriors came out victorious with a 7-3 W. Assists on goals were; Mark Pyzowski (2), Nathan Gibb, Beckham McLeod, Owen Gaylor and Ben Fizell.
Saturday morning the Warriors met the Cambridge Hawks for round 2 of the tournament. Cambridge would open up the scoring in the 1st period and follow it with another in the 2nd. Dylan Fischer would respond with a beauty shot to make it 2-1. In the third period Cambridge would get another and then Owen Gaylor with net a goal to get the Warriors back with one. Cambridge would win the match 4-2 but Stratford made it a close game with excellent pressure the whole way and great goaltending from Koen Gerber. Assists on goals were Beckham McLeod and Quinn Appel.
Saturday afternoon Stratford lined up to the Milton Winter Hawks. Milton netted the first goal and Ben Fizell responded with a big goal for Stratford, assisted by Beckham McLeod. With a surge of questionable penalty calls by an overzealous referee the Warriors would fall behind 5-1. In the third period Nate Framst would find Mark Pyzowski’s stick and the puck found the back of the net to bring it to 5-2. An empty net goal would finish the match 6-2 for Milton.