This past weekend the Peterborough Tyke 47’s took part in
their home town tournament – The Tyke Showdown. The 47’s were in tough in the
tournament with matchups against Milton, Whitby, and East Gwillimbury. They had
support from their parents, grandparents, friends and peers cheering from the
stands all weekend long to encourage them to play their absolute best.
The tournament kicked off for the 47’s with an early game Saturday morning against Milton. The 47’s had faced this team in the Brampton tournament earlier in the year, and knew that they would have to play their little hearts out to prove they could keep pace with one of the top Tyke teams in Ontario. The game was fast paced, aggressive, and at times a little chippy. Milton began the game with a few quick goals, however the 47’s regrouped and were able to even the score at one end of the ice. The other end saw the 47’s score fewer goals, however they did not make it easy for Milton to skate away with the win.
Late Saturday morning saw the 47’s face off against Whitby. The first few shifts were not typical of the 47’s; they had put forth so much effort in the morning that their legs took a few shifts to get going again. With some encouragement and guidance from the coaches, the 47’s found their game and were able to come out victorious.
Sunday morning felt like the championship game for these young players. They had never played against East Gwillimbury before, so went into the game with no pre-conceptions or past experience to prepare them. This game proved to be the best game the 47’s had played all season. The excitement of the game had some of the coaches climbing the boards. It was a big win for these players; a well-deserved win. Post-game the coaches generally give areas where the players could improve; this game there were no points to be made and no advice to give. The players demonstrated all they had learned in practices and applied it in this game. One again this team, these players, proved that they will be a force to reckon with for years to come.
Although no official scores were kept throughout the weekend, the chatter on the bench ensured the players and coaching staff were always aware of the ‘unofficial score’. It was a great weekend with great success for all of the players.
The hardest working warrior of the entire tournament was Oliver Pacey.
The 47’s are back in action at home against Whitby Saturday, February 9th at the Evinrude.