Pee Wee's fall short at International Silver Stick, News, Peewee Rep, U13, 2011-2012 (Listowel Minor Hockey Association)

This Team is part of the 2011-2012 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Jan 15, 2012 | treading | 1804 views
Pee Wee's fall short at International Silver Stick
The Listowel Cyclone Pee Wee's entered the playoff semi finals round at the Forest International Silver Stick vs Pembrooke Kings. The cyc's came away with a heart breaking overtime loss with 0.3 seconds remaining. Pembrooke defeats Cyc's 3-2 to advance to finals.

On Friday Morning the Listowel Cyclone Pee Wee's began their journey for the chance to be International Silver Stick champions. Coaches Ken Jacklin, Tim Good, Brent Berfelz and Ryan Rozendal felt that this squad had a very solid team that could possibly do some real damage in this tournament.

  On Friday morning the boys took to the ice vs a team from Utica, New York. The team seemed nervous the first five minutes of the first period and with the no body contact rule in place it made the team very tentative. The team took advantage of a penalty later in the first with a power play marker by Brett MacLeod on a set up from Lucas Jamieson and Reece Reading.

Late in the second period the Cyc's added another tally with a very nice goal from Josh Gottfried with the assist to Reading. The team went on to win the game by a 2-0 score with Nick O'Grady recording the shutout in a solid performance in net.

Friday afternoon's game was a wild game as the Cyc's faced off against a team from Palm Beach, Florida. The team came out sluggish and didn't seem to have the jump they have had over the past few weeks. With a little over confidence working against them they found themselves down 3-0 at the end of the first period. After the second goal against the coaches changed goalies and hoped that with Luke Brubacher between the pipes that this would spark the boys and get the game back in their favour. 

Half way through the second the boys finally got on the board with a tally by Gottfried with assists to Derek Fischer and Reading. Still struggling to find their legs the boys trailed by a pair at the end of the second.

Wow, with the combination of some great coaches speeches and the players rejuvenated desire to play hard the team came out in the third and totally dominated the play. Early in the third Gottfried notched his second of the game with a great solo effort. Shortly after this Fischer tied the game with helpers to Jacob Robinson and Gottfried. Now pressuring everything that moved on the ice, Reading scored the game winner with a shot from the point with assists to Austin McGrath and Cooper Miller. With a minute remaining Curtis Jackson drilled a slapshot down into the center of the net to seal the dael with helpers to Derek Fischer and Josh Coelho. After recording 20+ shots in the third the Cyc's win 5-3.

Saturday mornings game was a game to sort out the final standings. Knowing going in that they would be playing later that day the boys stilled wanted to send a message to rival Mitchell that this was going to be our weekend for victory.

Early in the game Mitchell took an early lead and took the play to our team. In the second though the boys fought back and Lucas Jamieson tapped in the equalizer with the setup from Gottfried and Robinson.
The game remained tied through three periods as the end to end play continued. Early in the overtime frame Mitchell scored to take first place in the round robin, and this would put us against Pembrooke in the semifinal game.

After a long day waiting and a couple team bonding sessions during the afternoon with the coaches, the Pee Wee team was ready to put their best foot forward and represent the town of Listowel proud with hopefully a chance to qualify for the final. 

With not much information available about their opponent, the teams would have to feel each other out over the game. Some early solid defensive plays by the defense of Listowel Will Calder, Reid Gooding , Jackson and Reading kept an early flurry in check. The forward trio of Fischer, Jamieson and McGrath pounded an early goal  by the Pembrooke goaltender at the 8 min mark. Later in the first Michael Uptigrove banged in a rebound with assists to Gottfried and McGrath.

With a two goal lead after one, the boys kept forging ahead. In the second period an unfortunate bounce put Pembrooke within one and shortly after made that they pulled even. The third period was an end to end battle. Both teams had many chances but the Pembrooke goalie and Nick O'Grady stood tall in the nets.

With some very suspect officiating Listowel found themselves shorthanded eight times, this was starting to wear on the legs of the players. Then with 0.3 seconds remaining in the first overtime period the Listowel squads hopes of the championship were dashed as Pembrooke scored to advance to the finals.

With the players International Silver Stick hopes over I would like to take this time to congratulate them on their great run. Not many teams have a chance to win a Regional Silver Stick and/or a chance to play in an International Silver Stick. The team represented the Listowel Minor Hockey program and the Town of Listowel with class and heart.

The team is very fortunate to have great coaches in Jacklin, Good, Berfelz and Rozendal teaching them the hockey skills but also teaching them about the whole hockey experience, being a team and playing as a team. Great job guys!

On behalf of the team I would also like to thank the parents, grandparents, fans and LMHA executive that travelled to Thedford and Forest to support the boys, the team knew that you were behind them the whole way through their jorney and it means alot to each and every player to be able to represent the Town of Listowel.


'Hot off the press" PemBrooke went on to defeat Twin Centers and capture the Silver Stick on Sunday morning.

Thank You

Trevor Reading