Bantam fall short in Silver Stick, News, Bantam Rep, U15, 2012-2013 (Listowel Minor Hockey Association)

Despite some solid play the Bantam Cycs could manage only 1 win in 3 round robin games, at the Regional Silver Stick, thus failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

Game 1 against Walkerton saw the young Cycs get off to a slow start as Walkerton took control of the play for the 1^st half of the 1^st period. With Jacob Nethercott standing tall in the Cycs net, the rest of the team seemed to get their game legs going as the 1^st period neared completion. Reece Johnson would open the scoring with Bryce Fletcher & Cole Mckee assisting, then in the dying seconds of the 1^st Bailey Matheson would add another (Reese Reading & Lucas Jamieson assisting). With the 2-0 lead heading into the second the Cycs would explode with 4 unanswered goals. Matheson & Johnson would each add another, while Cooper Miller & Reading would notch their 1^st, picking up assists were Derek Fischer, Will Calder,  Matheson, Jamieson, Miller & McKee. The 3^rd would see even more Cyc’s scoring as Curtis Jackson & McKee would each pick up their 1^st of the game both unassisted, making the final 8-0 Cycs.

Game 2 would be a different story as the Cycs faced the hometown Kincardine Kinucks. Again the Cycs would get off to a slow start, but unlike the 1^st game Kincardine would make them pay scoring twice in the 1^st 5 minutes despite some great goaltending by Braeden Ellis. The 2^nd goal seemed to wake the young men up and the tides slowing began to tilt into the Cycs favour. In the 2^nd period the local lads had several great scoring chances only to have the Kincardine goalie turn them away. However undaunted the Cycs continued to pressure and their efforts were rewarded on the power-play as Reading potted home the rebound (Jamieson & Matheson assisting).  The Cycs continued their strong play & eventually tied the game in the 3^rd period when Matheson converted a nice Jamieson pass (Jackson drew the 2^nd assist). With the momentum the young men from Listowel continued to play hard however as sometimes happens a missed call at one end then a “cheap” penalty at the other put the hometown Kinucks on the power-play with just over a minute remaining in the game & they made short work of the power-play then added a empty net goal thus handing the Cycs a 4-2 defeat.

With the loss the Cycs now need a win against BCH for a chance to advance to the semi-finals. The Ice Dogs, who were in the same boat, came out very determined to advance. Their hard work and tenacity seemed to catch the Cycs off guard but again the Cycs goaltending would not break. After a scoreless 1^st period the Cycs started pushing back a little but it would be the BCH efforts that would score 1^st midway through the 2^nd then add a 2^nd goal in late in the period. Facing a 2 goal deficit the young Cycs needed to pick up their game in the 3^rd if they were to have any chance at advancing. Despite a better effort in the period the Cycs could not solve the hard-working BCH defense who eventually won 2-0.