Dec 12, 2016 | Paul Hill | 786 views
Silver Stick tourney wrap up
A weekend of great hockey!
On Thursday, December 8, 2016 the Mitchell Scotia Bank Bantam AE team travel to Wellesley with what could be described as a “determined group of boys” to play in a Silver Stick Qualifier Tournament. The weekend started off on Thursday evening with the Mitchell boys playing the much larger and stronger Tavistock Titans team. Not much good could be said about this game from our side, as the boys let Tavistock dominate them throughout the game, which defined the score 3-1. Joey Hill netted Mitchell’s only unassisted goal. Bradley Boville played awesome in net, but was just peppered with too many shots to keep the boys competitive.
The boys needed to regroup themselves the rest of the weekend in order to make it to the finals held Sunday afternoon. On Friday evening the boys second game was played against Centre Wellington Fusion, a team evenly matched in size and skill. Joey Hill started the scoring off in the first with a pass from Solomon Koert and Karsen Eisler. Carter Prescator continued the scoring for Mitchell, launching a shoot from the blue line into the back of the net. Joey Hill, (taking after is mother), took a hitting from behind retaliation penalty for an uncalled trip and was ejected from the game and given a game suspension. Kyle Eisler decided to join his brother on the score sheet and score Mitchell’s last goal ending the game at 3-2 Mitchell. Steve Damn was solid in net.
Saturday afternoon the boys faced off against Caledon Hawks for their third game of the tournament. Josh Edit put Mitchell on the score sheet in the first, scoring the only goal in the first period making it 1-0. The game would remain scoreless until the third when Cater Prescator would add to Mitchell’s lead making it 2-1. Mitchell would add one more goal from the strong efforts of Mark Knill, who sent the puck into the back of the net ending the scoring at 3-1. Winning this game allowed the boys to move on to the semi final game on Saturday night. Unfortunately during all the excitement, Josh Bedour received a hitting from behind penalty and received a game suspense and would not play be able to play in the semi final game, but Hill would return. Once again Stevie Damn was exceptional in net.
Our challengers for our fourth game were the Lincoln Blades. “Semi finals are a good test of who wants it more!” was a text sent to the team by Peter Holland and was read out loud to the boys before the game. Mark Knill started the scoring for Mitchell as the Eisler brothers took the assists. Next up was Cater Prescator receiving the pass from Jackson Thorpe and Cam Hahn, putting Mitchell ahead 2-0. On to the third and Solomon Koet buried the puck passed the Lincoln net minder, ending the score at 3-1 and advancing the Mitchell team to the finals on Sunday. In a word, FABULOUS, would be the only way to describe Damner’s efforts in net. We found out late Saturday night we would be playing Tavistock Titans for the right to move on to the next tournament and play for the “Silver Stick”. With finally a full team playing again, Stevie earning his spot in net and the fifth game of the weekend, the boys looked up at the Titans at centre ice and knew this game was going to be a hard fought battle …….. and it was. At 3:35 of the first period, Cater Yost successfully handles the pass from Solomon Koert and blasts the puck pass the Tavistock goalie, putting Mitchell on the board first at 1-0. With multiple shots on the nets and copious monstrous checks, neither team was about to give up. Tavistock was able to find the back of the net near the end of the first tying it 1-1. As the second period neared to a end and continual battering our boys were receiving from the much larger and physical Titans was taking it's toll. The Titans were able to find the back of Mitchell’s net one more time, making the score 2-1 and the death blow we all did not want. Although there was no scoring in the third, there were numerous opportunities from both teams, each wanting to earn that spot to play at the International Sliver Stick in Niagara Falls. Unfortunately it was not ment to be for the Mitchell boys, as the buzzer sounded ending the game, the score board read 2-1 Tavistock. Congratulations Tavistock on a great hard fought game.
To our boys; your parents, family and friends could not have been prouder of all of you, the odds were certainly stacked against you, but you did not let that stop that willingness to win, and that defines a true champion! Congratulations on a excellent weekend of hockey!