Written by Maureen Whitehead. The
SMHA Jr Warriors Midget team won the AA Silver Stick regional qualifying
tournament in Stratford on the weekend after defeating the Mississauga Terriers
2-1 in overtime.
The Warriors were down 1-0 in the 3rd period when Callan Ferguson went end-to-end to tie the game. Goalie Kyle Powers stood on his head to keep the Warriors in the game and force overtime. The Terriers took a penalty in the 3-on-3 overtime period and with 12 seconds left on the power play, with Cohen LeSouder stationed in front of the Terriers’ net, Patrick Holloway got the puck to Tate Gaylor who fired home the winner, giving the Warriors a well-deserved championship.
In game one on Friday afternoon, the Warriors beat the Flamborough Sabres to start the tournament. Luke Gaylor opened the scoring on a power play, assisted by Jack Whitehead and Aiden McMann. Gaylor scored again when goalie Powers hit him with a long pass and he skated in alone and put the puck top shelf. Caleb Musselman had the other assist. In the second period, after the Sabres made it close, Noah Rusen-Steele scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway to make it 3-1. Patrick Holloway had the assist. In the 3rd period, Jared LeSouder and Rusen-Steele had goals to make it 5-1. Holloway and Rusen-Steele had the helpers on the final two goals.
In game two, the Warriors beat the Kent Cobras 6-1. Holloway, Carter Musselman, Braydon Tinning, Jared LeSouder, Ferguson, and Luke Gaylor all scored. Chipping in with 2 assists each were Rusen-Steele, Whitehead, and Holloway. Jared LeSouder, Ferguson, Ben Wyatt, and Carter Musselman had one apiece. With 1 and a half minutes left in the game, the Cobras ruined Carson Knott’s shutout with a goal off the face-off in the Warriors’ end.
The Warriors dominated the Aurora Tigers in game 3 on Saturday afternoon. Ferguson, McMann and Tate Gaylor all had power play goals. Assists went to Luke Gaylor (2), both Musselmans, LeSouder and Rusen-Steele. A tic-tac-toe play from Whitehead and Riley Mathieson resulted in a goal by Adam Windsor late in the 2nd period. Ferguson scored again in the final frame, assisted by Tate Gaylor and Rusen-Steele, making it 5-0. Powers got the shutout in net.
The Warriors took their 3-0 record into the semifinal game Saturday night against the Burlington Eagles. With less than 30 seconds left in the 1st period, the Warriors scored twice. Holloway, on a solo rush, worked the puck deep into the Eagles’ end and got it back to Wyatt who scored his first of the tournament. Twelve seconds later, Ferguson scored on a power play, assisted by Carter Musselman. After the Eagles tied the game midway through the second period, Rusen-Steele scored the eventual game winner, assisted by Whitehead. Warriors’ goalie, Carson Knott, shut the door and did not allow another goal despite some good chances by the Eagles. Caelan Trupp scored with an assist from Wyatt to end the 2nd period. In the 3rd, Caleb Musselman took a pass from Luke Gaylor and backhanded a shot over the goalie’s glove to make it 5-2. Rusen-Steele’s unassisted goal made it a final score of 6-2.
The Warriors will now play in the International Silver Stick finals in Sarnia January 17-19.