The
Peterborough Minor Atom Select Pete's took home Gold in the Barrie House League
Select Tournament this past weekend.
Day one saw the Pete's in a match up with the Barrier Toppers. Although size was clearly on the side of the Toppers, Peterborough held them at bay and started off the tournament with a 4–4 tie. Thanks in part the Blake’s 2 short handed goals.
Day two saw the Pete's facing off with the Barrie Colts. This game was fast paced, with end to end action. It was a close game with Barrie leading 2-1 going into the third period. An early goal by the Colts in the third period did not slow the Pete's down, they kept pressing and, if it were not for some unlucky bounces, the game may have ended differently. The final score was 4-1 for the Colts.
The second game of day two saw the Pete's playing a familiar foe - the Oshawa Hawks. Both teams came out with much intensity and determination. It was a fast paced game, with chances at both ends of the ice. The Pete's managed prolonged periods of pressure, but great goaltending from the Hawks kept them in the game. In the end, the game was a low scoring affair, ended in a 1-1 tie, and leaving the Pete's sitting in third place going into the semi-finals.
Saturday evening brought with it a chance for some fun and rest after an exciting couple of days of hockey. A pizza party, mini sticks and time in the pool were all on the schedule. An early bed time for all players was gladly enforced by parents and a good night was had by all.
After two days of intense hockey, Sunday morning’s 8:30 semi-final game seemed to come fast. Coffee was flowing for the parents, but the kids had endless amounts of energy and were dancing up a storm in the change room an hour before the game. This game was a re-match with the Oshawa Hawks, and after the 1-1 tie the day before the Pete's were ready to prove themselves. As the game started, there was a sense that the Pete's luck had changed. Oshawa was not going to go down easy, but with great goaltending form Kris, the Hawks were clearly facing an uphill battle. The Pete's defence certainly stepped it up a level, trapping Oshawa in their own end for long periods of time and blasting shots at the net over and over again. With a great team effort, the Pete's won 4-2 and moved on to the Championship game.
Coming off the fast pace game against the Hawks, the Pete's were in the zone and ready to go for the championship game against the Barrie Colts. The Pete's came out strong and set a fast pace right off the puck drop. Three minutes into the first period the Pete's managed to strike first with a top shelf goal. A minute later the refs awarded a penalty shot to the Colts, but thanks to the poise and focus of our goaltender Luke, what could have been a game changing moment only managed to inspire the Pete's more. It was just over a minute later that the Pete's struck again, taking a two goal lead.
Heading into the second period with the Pete's up two goals, the Colts applied some pressure and managed to get on the score board just before the half way mark. However, the Pete's did not wait long to regain a two goal lead and just over a minute later the Pete's were leading 3-1. With 2 ½ minutes left in the second period a beautiful pass from Jordan set Eli E. up for another great goal, extending the Pete's lead to three goals and capping of a hat trick for Eli E. Even though they were down three goals, the Colts were not ready to throw in towel and managed to pop one in the net before the second period ended.
The third period saw the Colts come out hard scoring a quick goal and lessening the Pete's lead. With both teams driving hard to the net, the game was intense. The Pete's managed another goal with a nice rap around by Jordan, yet the Colts kept coming and managed to tie the score with only the 2:20 minutes left in the game. This rally did not seem to faze the Pete's, who never got down and gave every shift their all. It only took about 30 seconds for the Pete's to respond, and with a beautiful goal by Isaac, the Pete's took the lead for good. Half a minute later Isaac got his second goal of the game on an empty net making the final score 7-5 for the Pete's.
The Pete's demonstrated great heart and poise throughout the tournament and never let anything get them down. The spirit and determination that the Pete's put forward was a major factor in their championship win. MVPs for the Barrie tournament were Blake Jacobs, Guthrie Goodfellow, Eli Element, Eli Brake, and Luke Yakelashek.
Thanks to the families, siblings and players for all their hard work and great attitudes. It was a fantastic team effort by all and a wonderful way to end the season.