The Midget AE Cycs perform admirably in Collingwood regional Silver Stick .
The local boys travelled to Collingwood for one of the Silver Stick regional tournament. In game 1 versus Caledonia the Cycs came out flying controlling the early part of the game, however they where unable to beat the Thunder tender. During this 0-0 game Cyc's goalie Ryan Hak made several key saves to keep the game tied. Eventually Adison Alexander would bulge the twine for Listowel, with a good point shot. Scott Boertien would pick up Listowel's 2nd goal with a big wrister from the slot on a nice Jason Hollinger feed, while Dustin Langer would bang home a rebound mid way through the 3rd to give the AE's the 3-0 win. Hak was chosen "Player of the Game".
In game 2 the Cyc's would face the feisty Wasaga Beach Stars. This game was a fast paced affair with both teams exchanging scoring chances. Justin Bauman would score the eventual winner as he tucked home a rebound in the 2nd period. That’s all the offense Listowel would require as Andy Leith would turn away everything he saw, earning him the shut-out and the Cycs the win. Matt Wilkans effort at both ends earned him the POG.
Game 3 was set to be another good match as 2 undefeated teams would battle for 1st place in their division. The hometown Collingwood Blackhawks took it to Listowel earlier but strong defensive play and solid goaltending would keep them off the scoreboard. The Cyc’s seemed to get stronger as the game progress and finally their efforts where rewarded as Cory George buried a nice feed from Matt Wilkans. The Blackhawks would answer back late in the 2nd period sending the game into the 3rd in a 1-1 tie. Despite several scoring chances by both teams the 3rd period would solve nothing ending the game in a 1-1 tie. Steve Cleary won the POG for his tenacious fore-checking.
By way of tie breaking formula Listowel would finish in 1st place which set the semi-final match with Saugeen Shores. Saugeen came out flying but the Cycs weathered the Storm early as the defense and goaltending held strong. A late 1st period scramble in front of the Cycs net resulted in a Saugeen 1-0 led. Listowel had problems mounting any form of offense as some poorly time penalties seemed to kill any momentum. Still down 1-0 the Cycs tried to rally late, several good scoring chances where turn aside by the Storm tender who preserved the 1-0 Storm victory. Anthony Quipp earned POG as he was a force at both ends of the rink.
The coaching staff was very pleased with the team’s effort. “Hard work is this team’s signature” noted coach Jerry Rozendal “and that was evident in every game”. It should also be noted that the team only allowed 2 goals over the 4 games, which speaks loudly for the defense and goal-tending. Due to some creative scheduling the AE’s get a 2nd chance to qualify for the International Silver Stick in a few weeks when they participate in the Wellesley regional.