The EJ’s
Tavern at Baden Wilmot Wolverines Midget BB Rep Girls kicked the new year off
in grand style winning the Scarborough Sharks New Year’s Classic Tournament
played January 3-5, 2014. The team played a total of
6 games, with no losses, while allowing only 3 goals against.
The team opened round robin play in the 9 team field with a 1-1 tie against the Russell Coyotes. Tali Calder scored for the Wolverines in the first period on a nice set-up from line mates Breanna Bruce and Kayte VanKalsbeek. The Coyotes tied it up in the second and the third period settled nothing. Final score was 1-1. The story was similar in game 2 as Wilmot played a strong Aurora Panther squad to a draw, this one ending 0-0.
Enjoying having a full roster for the weekend, the offense got involved in a decisive 2-0 win over Durham West in game 3. Katherine Gerber put Wilmot on the board in the second period with assists going to Abby Williams and Grace Fountain before Jaime Van Nes added the second marker in the third, tipping in Alicia Hartung’s shot from the point. Brookelynn Gerber stopped a penalty shot with 5 minutes remaining to secure the shutout and the win.
The host Scarborough Sharks were the opponent in the final round robin game, the Sharks were holding down first place overall and Wilmot needed at least a tie to stay alive. Goaltending was once again the story as Rebecca Ruston turned in a strong game behind stellar defensive play from McKenzie Hall, Anna Clifford, Ellie Graham, Kaleigh Zimmerman, Emily Drake and Hartung. Scarborough was equally stingy and the game ended in another scoreless 0 – 0 tie.
The point was enough to earn Wilmot a berth in the semis against a familiar foe – the Aurora Panthers. Aurora struck first netting a power play goal early in the third. B. Gerber made a series of scintillating saves to keep the game close. Then Aurora took a late penalty, and with the Wilmot net empty, Aedyn Cressman-Voisin pounced on a loose puck with 8 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. Fountain was the next hero for Wilmot rifling a shot over the shoulder of the Panther netminder with just under 2 minutes left in overtime to send the Wolverines to the finals.
The host Sharks were the finals opponent. Fountain picked up where she left off scoring a 4 on 4 goal with assists going to Williams and Graham to open the scoring in the first period. Cressman-Voisin stretched the lead to 2 in the second as she potted her own rebound after being sent in down the left wing off a nice feed from Jenna Lobsinger. The Sharks managed to get within one in the third period before Ruston closed the door to secure a 2-1 win and the championship for the Wolverines.
TLC Petfood Wolverine Player of the Tournament goes to Grace Fountain for her clutch scoring and strong faceoff work. Rebecca Ruston was awarded the Tournament Finals player of the game. The Wolverines have a busy month of January before beginning Lower Lakes league playoffs and OWHA provincial playdowns in February.