WE WON THE SILVERSTICK BABY!!!!!!, News, Novice Rep, 2018-2019 (Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey)

This Team is part of the 2018-2019 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Dec 31, 2018 | Derek Cherrey | 688 views
WE WON THE SILVERSTICK BABY!!!!!!

With Christmas behind us, the focus turned to The Silverstick Tournament in Kincardine starting on December 27th and ending December 30th if we went on to play in the final. Well, we played on the 30th, AND WE WON THE SILVERSTICK BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Our Division consisted of 4 teams. AEMHA (Arran-Elderslie), Dundalk, Flesherton, and Us. With Dundalk and or Flesherton being the tournament favourites to win the Silverstick, we knew we had our work cut out for us. First up for the Crusaders was Dundalk. Everett The Blyth Brawler Cherrey literally stood on his head early on in the game waiting for the jitters to pass for his team mates. Trailing 1-0 after the first period, with Cherrey stopping numerous scoring attempts by the Dundalk team. The boys woke up in the second scoring 3 goals and held a 3-1 lead heading into the final frame. With Cherreys continued fine display in the second and third and the scoring of our 2 headed dragon of Hot Rod Ansley and Justin Case Fleet, the lads went on to post a neat 6-2 win over one of the favourites, sending a statement to the rest of the teams, that we were here to win.
Next up later on the 27th, was another tough task, Flesherton. They to were a heavy favourite to win outright. Unfortunately for them, they had to play the boys from Blyth/Brussels. Half way through the 2nd period we were down 3-1. Coach Mike got them focussed on the bench, had them reaffirm their commitment to team discipline and strong work ethic. The boys stormed back tieing the game up at 3 and jumping out to a 5-3 lead only having the Flesherton team score shortly after to bring the game within one at 5-4. Flesherton tied it up at 5 with 2:37 remaining in the third. The boys did not panic. 1 minute later Hot Rod Ansley scored his 4th goal of game giving us a one goal lead with 1:39 left in the game. The Brawler was ready for the fury from Flesherton as they had pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. Cherrey stood tall in net the boys dumped it out, and dumped it in to preserve a 6-5 victory.
Time to had home for a good rest after two tough hard skating, fast paced games. Next up AEMHA on Friday morning.
Again the boys started a little slow, in a sloppy first period as both teams looked a bit tired. The games pace picked up in the second period as both teams skated back and forth with our kids holding on to a 4-1lead heading into the final frame. Both teams brought it in the 3rd each scoring 3 times, giving the Crusaders a 7-4 victory over the pesky AEMHA Ice Dogs. Our secondary scoring got in gear as Adrian Bo Dangles Egli chipped one in as did Emmitt Stretch Shortreed. Scoring his first goal ever in hockey was the hard working always improving Aiden The Quiet One Hickey. The place went ballistic with hickey going end to end fighting off numerous defenders and going top cheese on a laser beam from in close BAR DOWN!!!! Woop Woop!. Wait hold on, not quite like that but sure as heck he scored. Went off his skate in close on a scramble, but they all count. LOL. Aiden you can use that story to tell all your family and friends just how you did it. Proud of you Buddy. Your hard work is paying off. Skating hard and driving to the net.
With going 3-0 in round robin play we were seated first and would play Saturday afternoon at 330 pm in Ripley against the South Bruce Blades(Teeswater/Mildmay), who finished 2nd in their division posting a 2-1 record. So the semi final was in front of the boys from BBMHA. Both teams looked nervous, not wanting to make a mistake and both teams played good defense. We were up 1-0 with Hot Rod Ansley scoring with 1:03 remaining in the opening period. Again Ansley scored 2 more goals in the second, putting us up 3-0 after 2 periods. Cherrey was settling in nicely between the pipes, showing you would have to be darn good to put one by him. Each team scored 2 goals a piece in the third period giving us a 5-2 win and a ticket to the final.
Lets back up a bit to just before the game. On the way out the hallway on to the ice for the game some of the kids from an opposing team were heard chirping to our boys, that we were going to lose and that if we did win we would lose to them. Those players were fro Hagersville. And who did we end up playing the next morning at 9 am in Kincardine for all the marbles? You guessed it.....HAGERSVILLE.  All I can say, is be careful what you wish for kids.
Sunday morning, game day. Not like any other game day. This was for the Regional Silverstick Tournament Championship in Kincardine. The dressing room was quiet. But it was a good quiet. The kids were focussed and ready to go. They just wanted on the ice. They wanted to complete their first half of the season goal. The goal was to win The Silverstick.
Hagersville came out strong pushing the pace of the game. Cherrey was unbelievable in net for the Crusaders again, turning aside multiple scoring chances, again showing you would have to be pretty much perfect to beat him on this Sunday morning. Hagersville lost focus and turned to body checking, hits to the head and slashes to try and get the Crusaders off their game plan. At one time they had 3 players in the penalty box. The referees grabbed control of the game, but unfortunately for Hagersville that meant being shorthanded for most of the second period. And what did that allow Coach Mike and his staff to do. Un leash the 2 headed dragon and give them more open ice and ice time together. That is bad news for any team we paly against. By the end of the second period the score was 6-1 all but sealing victory for the Crusaders. But wait there was one play in the 3rd that sent the Hagersville Hawks home. That play was a short handed 2 on 1 by Justin Case Fleet and Hot Rod Rodney Ansley. Fleet picked up a nice break out pass by Hot Rod setting th play up. The defender and goalie played Ansley the whole way thinking Fleet would pass it to him, NOT!!!! Fleet buried a laser beam low glove, bulging the twine. It was beautiful. Hockey at its best. Hot Rod Ansley won player of the championship game. In saying that, before the first game, I spoke with Hot Rod one on one. He had 84 goals on the season heading into the tournament. I told him I wanted him at 100 by the end of the weekend. 16 in a possible 5 games is huge task. Well Hot Rod left with 106 on the season,5 player of the game awards and a Silverstick championship with his team.
Let the celebration begin. SILVERSTICK CHAMPIONS BABY!!!!!! We showed up, we were disciplined. we executed a game plan. The kids bought in. We skated them into the ice. No one could skate with us. All this leads to victory. And we did. We are the champs. We win with grace. On to the next one. The next one is International Silverstick in Pelham on January 10th to the 13th.
We as a coaching staff could not be more proud of the kids. They did the hard work. They listened. They skated. THEY WON!!!!

Coach Derek