It was a successful start to 2014 for the Minto Atom Reps with three great accomplishments.
1) First, on Jan 4th they hosted their own Minto Minor Hockey Tournament. We were pleased to have so much interest in our tournament this year, thanks to all of the teams who supported our program this year. Minto would start the day early with a win against Walkerton, followed by a win in game two versus BCH. Those two wins put Minto in the finals against a strong team from Kawartha, and the Mad Dogs would continue their great play and win the Minto Tournament Championship. Well done.
2) Following their tournament, the Atom Reps would finish their regular season play with a game against Shallow Lake. A win would mean first place, and Minto played a great game, defeating Shallow Lake and securing first place with a 9-3 win.
3) Finally, the boys then travelled to Forest to compete in the International Silverstick Tournament. The team was very excited after having won the regional tournament in December, and while they were thrilled just to be participating in the International Tournament, they knew that if they maintained their strong play they could do very well in Forest as well.
Game #1 saw Minto starting at 8am on Friday against last year’s champion Delhi rockets. The mad dogs started strong, but despite outshooting their opponents, the boys were down 1-0 after one period of play. The Mad Dogs never quit and responded with 3 goals in the second period. That would prove to be enough as Minto took their first game with a score of 3-1.
Game #2 would follow a few hours later against Stayner. Into the second period the score would be tied at 1, however Minto soon opened the game up by scoring 6 unanswered goals, taking game two with a strong 7-1 victory.
Saturday morning would see Minto in game #3 against Norwich. With a win Minto could secure a spot in the semi-finals. Despite significant contact from an aggressive Norwich team and few penalties, Minto kept their heads and played a solid game, in the end outplaying and outscoring their opponents 5-2 to finish first in points overall.
The boys had now secured their spot in the semi-finals which were scheduled for Saturday night. The commitment of the coaches and players would be seen during this long stretch between games, with an agreement that the pool and mini sticks be put on hold until after this important must-win game. The boys listened to their coaches and showed up to the arena focused and ready to play for game time. Delhi had managed to secure fourth spot and would again be Minto’s opponent for the semi-final. Minto’s heads-up passing game, hard-working offense and strong defensive play again propelled Minto over a solid Delhi team, moving Minto into the finals with a 4-2 win.
The finals were now set for Sunday – the tournament’s undefeated Minto team versus the undefeated team from Mariposa. Both teams knew they would have to play great games to come away with the championship, and after the player’s names were announced and they took the ice, the Mad Dogs were ready to play. Minto struck first, jumping out to a 1-0 lead, but before the end of the first period Mariposa had responded with a goal to tie the game at 1. A flood between the first and second period gave both teams a chance to head to the dressing rooms and get ready for 2 more periods of play. When the Mad Dogs returned to the ice you could see the boys were determined to play their best and leave everything on the ice. The boys and coaches were calm, cool, and collected, while the parents were nervous but confident in the team. Minto proceeded to keep the pressure on Mariposa, scoring three goals while allowing none, on their way to a hard fought 4-1 victory over an excellent Mariposa team, earning the International Silverstick championship.
Including both the regional and international tournaments, the Atom Reps finished their Silverstick experience this year with a 10&0 record. What a great accomplishment for this team, showing consistent play and a will to persevere in any situation. Earning the right to be named the 2013/14 International Silverstick Champions is something this team and their proud supporters will remember for years to come. Thank-you to the Minto Minor Hockey Executive for the support in tournaments this year, and on behalf of all the families and supporters, we would like to thank the committed coaching staff to whom all the boys look up to, teaching them not only how to play and win, but also to play the game with respect.
Congratulations Mad Dogs on a great year so far and the very well deserved title of International Silverstick Champions!
