Minor Bantam Terriers fall just short in pursuit of Silver Stick International Championship
When it comes to tournaments this year, you could say that the Rama First Nation Minor Bantam Terriers are predictable. For the fifth straight tournament this year, they fought their way to the championship game. However, they just couldn’t capture the prestigious title of Silver Stick International Champions.
The well coached Terriers were prepared for action in the Newmarket located tournament. Logan Matthews backstopped the team to an opening shutout against the Toronto Aces 3-0. Brody Tracey had a pair of tallies and Chris Brown had the other Terrier goal along with an assist. Zac Bell had a pair of helpers and Scott Adams had an assist.
Next up against the Nickel City Hitmen, Connor White helped propel the team to a 5-1 win with two goals and an assist. Bell picked up another three points with a goal and two assists. Ty Gysbers and Ethan Sleep buried the other Terrier goals. Jared Dewey picked up two helpers from the point and his brother Jacob one also. Tracey and Adams also had single helpers. Nick Raseta was beaten only once on the Terrier net for the win.
Game three of the tournament saw the Terriers take on a very big Woodstock Navy Vets. The team cruised to a 4-0 lead but the Navy Vets made it close with two late goals in the 4-2 Terrier win. Jordan Burnett and Colten MacDonald powered their first goals each of the tournament with Gysbers and Bell chipping in single goals also. Jacob Dewey had two assists, while Gray Sleep-Carnahan and Adams each had a single helper. Matthews was the winning goaltender.
With a ticket to the playoff round booked, the team closed out the preliminaries with a 4-2 win against the Casselman-Embrum Icedogs to claim first place in their division. Tracey, Brown, Sleep-Carnahan and Burnett each had a goal. White had two assists, while singles went to MacDonald and Jacob Dewey. Raseta picked up his second win of the tournament.
Saturday night, the team faced off against the West London Hawks in the semi-finals for the chance to play for the title. After a bit of a sluggish start, the Terriers fired up their offense to pull away and defeat the Hawks 5-1. The special teams paced the way and capitalized on some over aggressive penalties by the Hawks. As with the season, this team rolls three lines that can all score and check. Brown, Adam, Sleep, Bell and MacDonald beat the Hawks goalkeeper while White and Jacob Dewey each picked up a pair of assists. Jared Dewey had a single helper along with Sleep-Carnahan, Burnett and Owen Downer also had helpers. Matthews gained the net win.
In the tournament championship, the Terriers just ran out of gas and could not keep pace with the Cobourg Cougars. After holding close by a 2-1 score late into the second, the Cougars pulled away to end the Terriers fine Silver Stick tournament run, 7-2. After surrendering four scores, Matthews was relieved by Raseta to finish the game. Sleep-Carnahan and MacDonald were the only Terriers to beat the Cougars’ goalie. Brown, Adams and Jared Dewey had single helpers.
The minor bantams wish to acknowledge and congratulate the Terrier Minor Atom team who claimed their Silver Stick International Championship. The team appreciated the younger players and their fans who stayed to cheer on the Minor Bantams hours later. The Orillia fans and family were treated to excellent hockey in the tournament and were very proud of the way the team performed at the tournament and for being International Finalists.