Over the past weekend, the Listowel Midget Reps travelled to Bracebridge for the annual Bracebridge Minor Hockey Midget tournament. Listowel seemed to carry all the momentum over from the past few weeks as they played determined hockey throughout most of the weekend ending up as tournament champs.
The first game of the tournament was played on friday night, in Bracebridge, as the Midgets took on the Richmond Hill Stars. In what has seemed to be a trait of the Listowel team, they again came out flat, with Richmond Hill creating numerous scoring chances in the opening minutes to only be turned away by Listowel's Ian Robinson. Richmond Hill continued to create numerous scoring chances throughout the second period capitalizing on Listowel's uncharacteristic sloppy play. However, Listowel opened the scoring with just under two minutes left in the first period as Luke Binning scored from the short side of the net.
Each team would exchange scoring opportunities throughout the opening minutes of the third. With just over 10 minutes left. Listowel's Jordan Linstead chased a Richmond Hill breakaway, drove and knocked the puck and player into the corner, saving what looked like a great scoring opportunity. However, the referee felt as though it was warrant of a penalty shot. It was quite a moment as penalty shots are not usually called on this type of play. As Richmond Hill's Matthew Lalingo broke down on Listowel's Robinson, you could hear a pin drop in the building, with Listowel fans sitting on the end of their seats. Robinson played Lalingo perfect giving him all of the trapper side, then sliding across to give him the huge glove save.
(Above Listowel's Ian Robinson makes huge save on penalty shot)
With Listowel knowing that the moment needed to shift, they went back to their accustomed hard nose hitting style of play which seemed to give the Listowel team some much needed life as Darren Kerr scored back to back goals which found their way to the mesh giving Listowel the 3-1 lead. Listowel never looked back as Derek Fraser added one more insurance marker to finish the game 4-1.
In Listowel’s second game of the tournament, they headed to Lake of Bays arena on Saturday morning to play the Huntsville Otters. Learning from the mistakes of game one, the Midgets came out flying throwing hit after hit creating numerous scoring opportunities. Listowel’s disciplined play seemed to be the breaking point for the Huntsville team as they could not control their emotions giving Listowel powerplay after powerplay. Listowel ended up scoring 5 powerplay goals on route to a 5-0 win. Game two marked the return of Thad Lucas to action from an extended injury. Goals were from Binning, Corey Conners (2), and Jackson Martin (2). Ben Nelson played solid in net turning away the four shots he faced.
After winning the first two games, Listowel had secured an opportunity to play in the semi finals on Sunday. However, Listowel still had to finish their round robin with their third game against the Highland Storm. Listowel just didn’t seem to have the effort they displayed in the prior two games as Listowel made numerous mistakes that lead to scoring opportunities from the Highland team. As the third game came to close, Listowel gave up back to back goals late in the third period allowing Highland to take the game 2-1. Listowel ended the round robin games with four points.
In the semi finals, Listowel was matched up against the Thorold Blackhawks. In the opening minutes, it seemed like either team could open the scoring as each team created numerous scoring chances only to be turned away by solid goaltending. Thorold would open the scoring just 7 minutes into the first period as a give-away allowed a Thorold player to put home the opening goal. The first would end in a Thorold 1-0 lead.
Listowel would start gaining momentum in the second from hard work and sloppy play by the Thorold defence. Listowel would even the score as Thorold was a man down from a roughing call with just under 5 minutes left in the second as Binning took the feed from George McKeown and Martin. This goal seemed to fire up the red machines as Listowel’s captain, Vince McNichol would score the game winner with a slap shot that sailed over the netminders shoulder making the score 2-1 to end the second period.
(Above: Listowel Celebrate goal)
The third period seemed to be all Listowel’s as the short bench of Thorold (nine players) really seemed to take a beating with Listowel’s hard hitting play, most notably from the duo of “crash & bang”, Ryan Young and Stephen Cleary. The duo kept all the Thorold players on their toes with numerous shifts to start the third that had the opponents leaving the ice clenching a sore shoulder or limb. With just over 8 minutes left in the third, McKeown took over with back to back goals in 11 seconds to give Listowel a 4-1 lead. Brett Buchanan, Binning and McNichol would add helpers to give Listowel the 7-1 win and a spot in the finals against the hometown Bracebridge Bears.
From a coaches standpoint, you could really see that the Listowel team seemed to be prepared for a battle in the final game of the tournament as they were loud and vocal getting pumped before the game excited to play to hometown team and beat them on their own turf. Listowel and Bracebridge exchanged numerous scoring opportunities in the opening minutes of the first period. The period was back and forth until Listowel’s Jackson Martin opened the scoring with just under two minutes left in the first (assists to Kerr and Dilan Bosivert).
Listowel would continue their strong play throughout the second period dominating on even strength and short-handed. Robinson made numerous saves to keep Listowel with the one goal lead. With just under 3 minutes to play in the second, Buchanan added an insurance marker with a wrist shot that picked the top corner (assist to Kerr and Cleary). The third period was the same as Listowel kept Bracebridge out of the Listowel end for most of the game. Ryan Goetz would add the final goal of the game and the 3-0 win.
Another successful tournament for the Midgets as they bring their tournament statistics for the year to two wins.
Listowel’s next action is Friday vs. Mitchell.
GO CYCLONES GO.