The Woodstock Sportswear PeeWee LL put forth an amazing
effort in the Paris Tournament. Each
game better than the one before, but in the end their record for the weekend
was 1-2-0.
Game 1: Tavistock vs Burford Coyotes
The Titan families were not too impressed to have to drive to Paris through the snow and wind for a re-scheduled 9:00pm game on Thursday night. They were to face off against Burford, a team not in the Grand River Local League.
The teams faced off to what would certainly be an exciting game. The Titans looked good on the ice; the passes, the rushes, the steals. And so did the Coyotes.
After an action packed first period, the only ink on the score sheet would be a minor penalty for each team. The tournament point system was based on the outcome of each period, as well as the game outcome, so every minute seemed to count.
The second period saw the same even balanced play. Neither team could seem to bulge the twine. The goaltenders were like walls between the pipes. The forwards and defensemen were doing what they stepped on the ice to do.
The final period would decide everything. Halfway through, the Titans saw themselves on the short handed end of a minor penalty. Tavi would have to overcome their fatigue of the late game to stop Burford from taking the lead. Two minutes seemed like an eternity and the teams were even strength again. It wasn't until during the final minute of play that a goal was scored. Russ Sebben was sure he had the black covered up but it somehow snuck out from under his glove and onto the end of an enemy stick. With a flick of the wrist the Coyote's scored what would be the only goal of the game. Although the Titans didn't get a win, they knew that they had given it all they had. The team had nothing to be sad about, they had played an amazing game to start the tournament.
Game 2: Tavistock vs. Paris Wolfpack
Friday morning was a much better drive to Paris to take on the Wolfpack at 11. This game would prove to be just as evenly matched as the night before, but rougher.
This time the first to mark up the score sheet would be the Titans with a goal! Line mates Bayslee Cressman and Lucas Way would show off their passing skills which finally wound up on the stick of Owen McArthur who would put it past the Wolfpack goalie. The Tavi lead would only last for 2 minutes, when the host team would strike back to even things up.
The only team to have anything to show for the second period was the Titans. The ref's were working overtime as the group managed to get 3 penalties during this time. Evan Britton made the score 2-1 on a pass from Jayden Marriott and Bo Schurink. The Tavi team was leading after 2.
Six penalties were handed out during the third, three to each of the teams. It was a high energy, puck traveling 10 minutes. The teams were looking tired, having done laps up and down the ice repeatedly, chasing each other and chasing the puck. With just under 5 minutes to play, the Wolfpack tied up the game while on a power play. The game was on even ground again and there wasn't much time left. A minute later, Tavi goalie Alex Marriott played the puck to CJ Myers just outside of the Titans crease. Myers took the black from one end of the ice to the other, facing and defeating all that came into his path, including the opposing goaltender. The Titan fans went wild, bells ringing and horns blowing. The score would remain 3-2 for the Titans, and they would go into game 3 with a 1-1 record.
Game 3: Tavistock vs Ayr Flames
With a win and a loss under their belts, the Titans knew that this game was important if they wanted to move on to the championship.
They had seen this Ayr team before during regular season play and knew that they would be tough to beat. But the team was optimistic and recounted that every period made a difference.
Tavistock was the first to strike. Drew Brenneman got his first of the season, receiving a pass from forwards Bo Schurink and Nick Alexander. 21 seconds later, the Flames tied up the score, as well as started a rift resulting in both teams in the penalty box. The period ended in a tie, a good thing for the Titans if they were to play later that afternoon.
The score remained the same until the midway point. Ayr got lucky and slid one into the Titan net. 2-1 game. Soon after, the Titans saw themselves on the plus side of a 5 on 3. This was their chance to even the score. The hard work that the team exhibited over the previous days had finally caught up with them and they couldn't manage to overcome the Flames. The coaches tried everything to even the score, pulling the goalie and adding the extra attacker. To no avail, the score would remain unchanged. With Ayr leading after 20 minutes, the Titans would not be moving on but it was about more than that. The Titans wanted to win and show this team that they were not going down without a fight!
Both teams came out swinging after the brief break between periods. Not a penalty was assigned but there could easily have been. Three minutes into the third the Titans marked up the scoreboard again. Kaleb Albrecht and Bayslee Cressman had been passing the puck which then landed on the stick of CJ Myers. He easily duked it past the Flames goaltender and raised his hands in celebration. The team gathered around, congratulating each other on evening up the score.
The celebrating would not last more than a couple of minutes. Ayr managed to once again find the back of the Tavi net and they would regain the lead 3-2. The Titans once again had their goalie pulled, hoping to have one more chance to get back in it. The play would not go as planned and the Flames would score on the empty net. Final score would be 4-2 for Ayr and they would be the ones moving on to play in the championship game.
10 out of 13 skaters received points during this tournament which not only proves that the Titans are hardworking, but that they are a team working together. Russ Sebben stood strong between the pipes in the first game against Burford and Alex Marriott was a key factor in the other two. Each jersey is worn by the most improved and the most valuable player. It was easy to walk away from the tournament with heads held high.