“Let’s GO OUT THERE, lets HAVE
FUN and let’s WORK HARD FOR IT. Let’s leave everything out there on the
line because that’s what its all about.”
– John Tavares (Toronto
Maple Leaf)With the unexpected break in hockey the league has been divided into Playoff Divisions, placing the U10 Rep Team in the Constellation side, facing off against the top 6 teams.
The Holloway Auto Parts Plus U10 Rep Team didn’t skip a beat with returning to hockey, starting off with two away games last weekend.
Saturday, February 5th vs. Burlington Raiders Black
The game had a quick start, both teams flying end to end, covering all 15 000 square feet of ice surface. Burlington hemmed the Warriors in a couple times but couldn’t put up any points in the first period, as netminder Sawyer Verspeeten had his head on a swivel, hugging the post, shutting down the wrap around and staying square to the shooter. The team worked hard, using their outlets, clearing pucks, creating turnovers for the Raiders, trying to generate offence. Nate Micks snagged a puck off a Raiders blade in the defensive zone, carried it down the center going head-to-head with the goaltender, sending a wrist shot over the shoulder glove side to throw up a big 1 for the Warriors, ending the second. If you have been watching/reading about the U10 team, you know that once they get one point the flood gates are opened and the score board flickers for the remaining minutes. Owen Hurley stretched forward, tipping the puck ahead, flashed through the Burlington D, released a shot that bounced of the tender to linemate Andrew Hodgins, who slid the puck five hole to make it 2-0. Shortly after Mason Bye with the fancy moves, picked a puck up at centre, deeking the tender out to make it 3-0. Raiders netted their lone goal of the game ending the period. The clock winding down, seconds remaining, Coleton Schmidt off the draw in the offensive zone, shot low right side to hit the mesh to end the game 4-1.
Sunday, February 6th vs. Hamilton Huskies
Entering the arena, the air was filled with anticipation, maybe a few nerves, for the puck drop, as the Huskies have been sweeping teams, dominating offensively, everyone knew it was going to be a matchup. Nash Zacher got the call between the pipes, he took charge of the area in blue, stretching his limbs post to post (literally), smothering pucks, not allowing rebounds, staying alert. He didn’t just have one Huskies number; he had the whole team snake bitten. Schmidt lit the board up first, leading the Huskies down the ice, dragging the tender to the left post, wrapping the puck in on the right side. Bye carried the puck down the left side, behind the net, shot out front, where linemate Joseph Moss found it amongst the defenders’ feet, netting goal #2. Hurley jumping on the ice, snagged a puck from a Huskies stick, made way down the pad, shooting high glove side to make it 3-0. With the Warriors picking up a couple penalties, they went into defending mode, where they kept Hamilton chasing the puck, running out the PK’s. The blue line, consisting of Nick Forman, Malcolm Austin-Olsen, Marcus Atkinson, Brayden Keating, Jaxon Hallock and Nash Rhiel, had a great game keeping the puck along the boards, pushing the Huskies to the sides, doing all the little things on the back end to keep Hamilton moving and creating frustration throughout their lines, which resulted in a 4:00 PP to start the second period. Forman sniped in goal #4 from the point, during the PP. Joey Bitzer dug a puck out along the boards, feeding linemate Hurley who shot in goal #5. Seconds later Schmidt neatly tucked in goal #6. Hurley firing a shot off the boards, to make a line change, scored goal #7 five hole. With a mad scramble in front of the net Micks waited on the doorstep for his moment, to hammer in goal #8. With the second period slowly dwindling down, Hurley took a shot and winger Bitzer tapped in goal #9. The third period was a lot of back and forth, Hamilton had a good period clogging up the shooting lanes and playing a strictly defensive game. During a PK, Hurley jumped on the ice, riffling the puck towards the goalie, bouncing the puck off the pads, to Bitzer who hit the mesh making it 10-0. With seconds left in the game the Huskies were able to squeak in their lone goal, making it a 10-1 final.
Sunday, February 13th vs. London Jr Knights Green
With a 4:30P.M puck drop, Dufferin Arena was at capacity, awaiting another top match for the U10 Team, who are embracing a record of 21-6-0, with a ten-game winning streak. A quick drop of the puck and the Jr. Knights broke threw first making it a fast 1-0. The red-white-blue shook off the goal, regrouped at center and got it going. Hurley turning the jets on, down the right side back handed a shot over the goaltenders head to tie the game at 1’s. On a PK, Micks hovering around center ice, picked a pass off and sent a floating shot from the top of the circle, past the tenders’ shoulder giving the Warriors the lead. A couple seconds after the penalty kill had ended the Jr. Knights answered back with a goal of their own, tying the game at 2’s. Ending the first period Schmidt hit the bullseye with a rocket, putting the lead back in the boys favour. The second period was full of momentum from both teams, with many shots, aggressive forechecking, backchecking and digging along the boards. Warriors’ goaltender Verspeeten was dialed in!! He was calm, steady, focused and had his hot hot glove in full action, helping to keep the lead for the boys. Hurley winning the draw, skipped through the forwards, launching a shot from the top of the circle, while falling to net goal #4. Jaxon Hallock with a drop back pass to Hurley, made a quick wrist shot through the crowd to score goal #5. During the third period Schmidt battling for the puck, in the defensive zone, went down the left side shot a wrister, knocking the peanut butter right off the shelf to make it 6-2. Sealing the W for the boys was Moss, making a little zig and a zag and soaring in the final goal ending with a 7-2 victory!
NEXT ACTION:
Saturday, February 19th vs. Woodstock Navy Vets @ 2:00P.M @ Southwood Arena, Woodstock
Sunday, February 20th vs. Woodstock Navy Vets @ 12:45P.M @ Rotary Complex, Stratford