Nov 08, 2022 | Scott Siebert | 207 views
U16 Warriors Stratford Regional Silver Stick Recap
The Warriors had the benefit of some home cooking this past weekend as they hosted the Stratford Regional Silver Stick Tournament.
Game 1 of the tournament brought the Mississauga Terriers to battle the Warriors at the Stratford Rotary Complex. The first period saw both teams come out firing on all cylinders creating lots of end to end action, but no goals to show for it. The Warriors struck first in the second period as Griffin McGregor feathered a pass over to Ryan Gansevles who launched a bullet at the Terrier netminder. The rebound squeaked in behind him and Logan Hallock swept it across the line. The third period the Terriers pushed the pace but the defence pair of Zach Schultz and Ellis Schnurr helped keeper Brody Borszcz keep them off the board. A power play marker from Carter Petrie (A-Blair Stokes) gave the Warriors a two goal cushion and they wouldn't look back. Petrie fired in a shorthanded empty netter to seal the victory. Final score - Warriors 3, Terriers 0.
The Bombers from Glancaster were the opponents in Game 2. Henry Tuer was between the pipes for the Warriors. Despite most of the first period taking place in the neutral zone, Stratford capitalized on a turnover and struck first on a quick shot in the pocket from Ryan McGee (A-Petrie, Abel). The Warrior shooters turned up the volume in the second firing bombs at the Glancaster goalie. Dylan Abel snapped one past the line off a broken play - assists from Liam Ollson and Dawson White. Not long after, McGee (A-Gansevles, Schnurr) found the back of the net again to put the home team up 3-0 and the crowd into a frenzy. Glancaster managed one past Tuer late in the period to make it 3-1 Stratford after two. Dylan Able started the third by firing his second and the teams fourth goal past the Bombers line - assists to White and Ollson. Glancaster scored quickly on a power play and then added a third shortly after to narrow the score to 4-3 Stratford. Some timely hits from Rylan Hall and Austin Musselman and blocks from Blake Hodgson and White turned momentum back to the home squad. Gansevles capitalized on a bang-bang passing play from Petrie and McGee to make the final 5-3 for Stratford.
The Burlington Eagles Gold flew in Saturday morning to face the Warriors. Nathan Siebert dumped a puck low to Colin Schultz who found Griffin McGregor on the doorstep to put Stratford on the board first again. The Eagles would tie it up late in the period on a wacky deflection out front that just snuck past the Stratford line to even the score at 1 goal a piece after the period. Brody Borszcz stood tall in net for the Warriors in the scoreless second period, turning away two great chances and keeping the score locked at 1-1. Stratford exploded out of the gates in the third with Gansevles scoring on the first shot of the period to give Stratford the lead. Borszcz and the Warrior defence kept the Eagles snipers frustrated and were rewarded with a power play midway through the period. Looking to capitalize, the Stratford attack struck quickly. Carter Petrie (A-Abel,Stokes) ripped one off a body in front to put the Warriors up 3-1 and close the door on Burlington.
Saturday night's semifinal found the Warriors playing a familiar foe in the Hamilton Huskies. The Huskies found the scoreboard first with a wide shot deflecting off a defender in the slot and redirected past the Warrior goal line. That bad bounce would prove to be the difference as Stratford just couldn't buy a good one of their own through two periods. A determined Warrior offence pushed hard and nearly capitalized on a late power play but just couldn't slide one past. A late empty net goal made the final 2-0 Hamilton.
Next Action - Waterloo Memorial Tournament - November 11-13 - Rim Park
Nov. 11 - 8:30am - vs. SSAC Cameron Homes (Edmonton)
Nov. 11 - 4:45pm - vs. Windsor Jr. Spitfires
Nov. 12 - 10:15am - vs. Kinston Canadians
Nov. 12 - 7:00pm - vs. Kent Cobras