The Quinte Smiles/McCarten Travel/Landtech Design
Novice AE Junior Bulls have won the regional Silver Stick hockey tournament
held in Georgina, Ontario near Newmarket this past weekend. As the
picture shows, the team’s hard work and tireless effort brought home a haul of
hardware for an ecstatic group of players and coaches. A cup, medals and
pins for each individual on the team, hats, and a banner to be hung in Rink A
were all given as spoils for our championship victory.
The tournament started early on Friday morning. Despite a long drive, the boys had the energy to top the Waterloo Wolves 4-2. Belleville took an early 2-0 lead only to see their opponent bark back to tie it up. Belleville did not let up, however, and scored two in the third to take the victory. Player of the game honours went to Brett Keene who scored and assisted. Special mention to Joey Bonter who found his game by crashing the net with several rebound opportunities. Callum Decker played a strong game in net.
Early on Saturday morning, Belleville knew that a tie or win against league rival Whitby would advance them to a semi final game. Our boys laid it all out on the line, putting together an excellent effort from puck drop to final buzzer. An early goal by Travis Whitemore put Belleville on top after one. Whitby fought back to tie it in the second. Both teams were trading chances in a game that was truly end to end. Late in the second period though Belleville would find the net once more as Sam Brearley picked up the puck in his own end and skated the length of the ice a few feet off the boards beating three of Whitby’s players on his drive to the net. Just as everyone thought he had run out of real estate he threw a grounder on net and somehow it went in! The Bulls fought off a hard Whitby attack in the third and put together some good chances themselves but with 37 seconds left Whitby ended up scoring on a dribbler that Callum Decker saved but it bounced off the post, back against his skate and trickled over the goal line. 2-2 draw. Sam Brearley earned POG honours with a goal and his usual stellar defensive play.
Having sealed a semi final birth heading into their final round robin game, Belleville came up against a Brampton 45’s team that had yet to allow a goal in the tournament. Our boys were tired from two days of hockey and hotel living and could not rise to the occasion. They were trounced 5-0 and the only standout was POG goalie Ethan Yuke. Brampton played well and Belleville gave very little help to our goalie but Yuke stood tall and made dozens of saves in the loss.
After a night’s rest the Junior Bulls showed up early to the rink to play host Georgina in the semi final. The first period was a tightly played affair with nerves on both sides. Both teams had their opportunities and it finished 2-1 on 2 goals from Isaiah More with assists from Brett Keene and Joey Bonter. Belleville pulled away in the second and third scoring 5 more goals, winning the game 7-1. It was nice to see the boys find their stride again and it gave everybody confidence heading into the final. Connor Kerik, Travis Whitemore, Noah Roy, Reed Andrus, and another from More counted all goals. Assists to Ethan Walsh, Andrus, Kerik, Whitemore, and Tyler Pierce. POG was Reed Andrus who really found his legs for the game and had a dominant effort. Both Belleville goalies shared the tending duties in this game and did a great job.
The semi final win pitted our Bulls against the Brampton 45’s for all the marbles in the final on Sunday afternoon. In their semi final against Whitby, Brampton had been scored on for the first time in the tournament but had beaten a team that Belleville has to date never been able to beat. We knew, win or lose, that we would have to leave our best effort on the ice. And our boys provided such an effort. The game started with strong play from both teams but the difference in the first period was our goalie, Callum Decker, who made some outstanding saves to keep the game close. Belleville had their opportunities but was having trouble dialling it in on net. 1-0 Brampton after one. In the second, Belleville got their legs moving even faster and started to tip the ice in their favour. As a result, Brampton took a slew of penalties in an attempt to slow down our attack. That would be their undoing. Over the next two periods it may best be described as Belleville getting more from More as Isaiah More popped four goals into the net. Brampton pulled their goalie with four minutes left and down three . They were able to score one more but in the end Belleville won 4-2. All of our players played a major role in the victory. There was no player of the game awards given. Championship teams play as a team and all our boys played a major role in the victory.
Championship hats off to the McCarten Travel/Landtech Design Novice AE Junior Bulls Silver Stick Champions! It is a rare honour to win such a title.