51^st annual Port Huron Silver Stick Finals

PeeWee A: Omaha Jr. Lancers 8, Fort Erie Jr. Meteors 0

PeeWee AA: Ottawa Valley Silver Seven 2, Arapahoe Warriors 1 OT

Bantam A: Quinte West Hawks 1, Strathroy Jr. Rockets 0 OT

Bantam AA: Grosse Pointe Bulldogs 4, Mississauga Jets 2

Grosse Pointe Bulldogs Win Bantam Silver Stick Title

By STEVE KAMIDOI

Special writer for Hockey Weekly

PORT HURON - The 51^st annual Port Huron Silver Stick Finals came to a close Sunday (Jan. 27) as four teams took home the coveted titles concluding the PeeWee and Bantam divisions at McMorran Arena.

In Bantam AA the top-ranked tn the United States (Grosse Pointe Bulldogs) defeated the No.-1 ranked Canadian team (Mississauga Jets) in the final, 4-2.

The four-day event (in the A and AA divisions) consisted of teams from across the United States and Canada with 128-game schedule played at McMorran, Glacier Pointe and Lapeer Polace Palace arenas.

The first Port Huron weekend (Jan. 10-13) featured the AAA divisions in which Honeybaked swept both the PeeWee and Bantam titles.

The Omaha Jr. Lancers was another U.S. team to claim a Silver Stick title as they defeated Fort Erie (Ont.) Jr. Meteors, 8-0, in the PeeWee A championship game.

Ottawa Valley Silver Seven won the PeeWee AA title; Strathroy Jr. Rockets claimed the Bantam A crown.

Tournament Director George Moss said the weekends were filled with compliments.

“I’ve received tons of emails and phone calls from teams thanking us on how the tournament was run,” Moss said. “It’s testimony of how hard all the volunteers pull together every year and make this such a special event.

“When you try to have eight rinks going at one time it takes coordination and organization to have things run smoothly. That is exactly what happens; the committees and volunteers know what needs to happen.”

The Bulldogs captured the Bantam AA Silver Stick in the last game of tournament with a 4-2 win over Mississauga.

With 3:21 left in regulation, Marshall Vyletel found a losse puck in front of the Jets' net and buried it to break a 2-2 tie. An empty net goal by Zach Pearson with 1:01 started the celebration.

Logan Jenuwine and Theo Calvas had the other Bulldogs goals.

“What a great win going down to the wire against such a great team (Mississauga),” Bulldogs' Head Coach Geoff Welsher said. “I'm an Englishman (from Wales), and they're gruff men there. I was fighting back tears there, because there's so much heritage in Silver Stick. I know this one is the oldest one in the world.”

Welsher said that the practice plans and bench coaching of Robb McIntyre has brough the team to the highest level.

“This is a team that has a way of finding legs in the end,” McIntyre said. “We had a close one (Saturday) night against Plymouth (won quarterfinal game in overtime). “You need to do it in the end and that's the strength of this group.”

Plymouth had taken a 2-0 lead into the third period, only to have the Bulldogs chipped their way back to tie the game in regulation and scoring early in the overtime for the advancement win.

Bulldogs goalie Jacob Robinson of was named the Bill Lalley Memorial Award winner for his performance in the championship game.

“It's all about teamwork and cooperation” said Robinson, who is a freshman at International Academy in Macomb. “It's my first time at a Silver stick and my first year on this team. It's great to share this win.”

Grosse Pointe defenseman Theo Calvas was named to the division all-star team.

Here is a summary of the other three finals:

PeeWee A

Omaha Jr. Lancers scored early on a rebound goal by Benjamin Roeder assisted by Ethan Rodriguez at the 4:45 mark of the first period that started the 8-0 win in the championship game against Fort Erie Jr. Meteors.

Jacob Felker led the Jr. Lancers with three goals as Omaha outshot Fort Erie 29-14.

Tyler Benham, Payton Siemer, Blake Hutton and Lucas Shubert each added a goal; Ethan Rodriguez had three assists.

PeeWee AA

Ryan Blanchard of Ottawa Valley Silver Seven walked in on the right wing side a rifled the puck in the top corner for the game winner at the 4:55 into the overtime for a 2-1 win against Arapahoe Ice Warriors.

Ottawa Valley held a 1-0 lead after two periods with a lone goal coming at the 32-second mark of the second period by Oliver Carriere (Austin Vincent assist).

Arapahoe tied the game at the 3:58 mark of the third period when he wristed the puck past Ottawa Valley goalie Sebastien Dubois from the slot.

Farmington Flames’ forward Noah DeGuzman and defenseman Christian Mullenax were named to the division all-star team.

Bantam A

The final was a goalie battle as Tyler Freeman of Quinte West Hawks and Matt Boere of the Strathroy Jr. Rockets kept the game scoreless through regulation and seven minutes into the first overtime.

The Hawks’ Dawson Whyte ended the game when he snapped a shot past Boere at the 3:04 mark of the overtime. Joshua Hogan had the assist on the game-winner.

Boere was named to the all-star team and won the Bill Lalley Memorial Award for his effort in the championship game.

ALL-STAR TEAMS

PeeWee A

G: Cody Howard, Claraington Toros

F: Nolan Farr, Mooretown Storm

F: Lucas Shubert, Omaha Jr. Lancers

F: James Costin, Bear Mountain Bears

D: Walter Grabekis, Bear Mountain Bears

D: Spencer Hawkins, Fort Erie Jr. Meteors

Bill Lalley Memorial Award: Jack Faulkner, Omaha Jr. Lancers

Port Huron Hockey Association MVP Guske Award: Solomon Stone, Flags’ PeeWee A

PeeWee AA

G: Sebastien Bebois, Ottawa Valley Silver Seven

F: Noah DeGuzman, Farmington Flames

F: Tim DeBard, Arapahoe Ice Warriors

F: Nicholas Rashkovski, California Heat

D: Zach Lessard, Sarnia Jr. Sting

D: Christian Mullenax, Farmington Flames

D: Cole Cavey, Arapahoe Ice Warriors

Bill Lalley Memorial Award: Addison Zeich, Arapahoe Ice Warriors

Bantam Division MVP (Terry Graham Memorial Award): Cole Cavey, Arapahoe Ice Warriors

Bantam A

G: Matt Boere, Strathroy Jr. Rockets

F: Turner Balasin, Strathroy Jr. Rockets

F: Riley Bennett, Blind River Hounds

F: Nick Jones, Quinte West Hawks

F: Dawson Whyte, Quinte West Hawks

D: Ethan Coens, Quinte WestHawks

D: Ryan Duffy, Chicago Wolfpack

Bill Lalley Memorial Award: Matt Boere, Strathroy Jr. Rockets

MVP Bantam Division: Dawson Whyte, Quinte West Hawks

Bantam AA

G: Julian Tymochko, Mississauga Jets

F: Cody Tremblay, South Florida Golden Wolves

F: Brendan Furry, Toledo Cherokee

F: Daniel DeSousa, Mississauga Ice Warriors

D: Theo Calvas, Grosse Pointe Bulldogs

D: Christopher Celini, Mississauga Jets

Bill Lalley Memorial Award: Jacob Robinson, Grosse Pointe Bulldogs

^51st annual Port Huron International Hockey Tournament

HONEYBAKED SWEEP

FINALS

PeeWee AAA: Honeybaked 5, Mississauga Rebels 0

Bantam AAA: Honeybaked 6, Toronto Marlboros 3

By STEVE KAMIDOI

Special writer to Hockey Weekly

PORT HURON – Honeybaked ruled the 51^st annual Port Huron International Hockey Tournament on Sunday afternoon as the PeeWee AAA and Bantam AAA teams took the home the coveted titles in thy finals at McMorran Arena.

Both teams were unbeaten (7-0) in the four-day event that had a field of 36 teams in the Bantam and 28 teams in the PeeWee competing in the 142-game schedule. The top teams from across the United States and Ontario faced off in the oldest youth hockey tournament in North America.

The PeeWee team defeated the Mississauga Rebels, 5-0 in the final while the Bantam team came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Toronto Marlboros, 6-3, in their final.

Silver Stick continues this weekend (Jan. 18-20) as Sarnia hosts the Atom and Midget divisions and then returns to Port Huron on Jan. 24-27 for the PeeWee and Bantam A and AA divisions.

Tournament Director George Moss said the games were that were scheduled on eight ice surfaces in four arenas (McMorran, Glacier Pointe Ice Complex, Macomb Suburban Ice and Lapeer Polar Palace) all went smoothly.

“The method we used to put together the divisions and seeding the elimination round was a success,” Moss said. “The way the committees and volunteers organize the games makes it a first-class event. The weekends help the community as well with all the business it generates.”

Trevor Edwards, the head coach of the winning PeeWee team, said the tournament is “a showcase for these talented young players.”

“Winning the Silver Stick tournament is huge,” Edwards said. “You will see some of these (players) in the top junior, college and many will be in the NHL someday. Thousands have played in (The Port Huron tournament); that's what makes it so special.”

Edwards coached in the Port Huron Hockey Association following his retirement from the United Hockey League team in Port Huron (then Beacons and Flags).

“I started coaching most of this group as Squirt minors,” Edwards said. “It is a hard-working, high-energy team; they trust their skills and finish the plays.”

Five different players scored goals in the 5-0 championship game win over the Rebels, who are ranked No.-1 in Ontario.

Noah McNutt, Jack Ludwig, Brady Smith, Ryan Sullivan (two assists) and Matthew Kessel each had a goal in the game; Gabriel Temple had three assists.

McNutt gave Honeybaked (39-6-6) a quick lead slipping in a rebound 31 seconds into the game. Three unanswered goals in the second period including a period ending score by Sullivan put the game away.

“We don't want to ever give up last minute or early minute goals,” Edwards said “It's tough for the opposition when you can take advantage of those situations. It was a huge goal (by Sullivan) to end the second; it's good when you can put the hammer down.”

Goalie Zachary Borgiel recorded the shutout and was named as the outstanding goalie in the championship game (Bill Lalley Memorial Award).

Smith, McNutt and goalie Christian Stoever were named to the all-star team along with forwards Drew Elsel (Westchester Express), Markus Klaise (Mississauga Rebels), Vinney DeSanctis (Long Island Royals) and defenseman Dennis Busby (Mississauga Senators).

Smith was named the MVP of the PeeWee AAA division (David Moss Memorial Award).

Borgiel, 12, who attends Fort Gratiot Middle School in the Port Huron school district, described the win as “an amazing experience.”

“Playing in front of all the people was great,” Borgiel said. “Every player gives it their best on every shift and find more gas in the tanks when we need it.”

Edwards said the goalie tandem of Borgiel and Stoever is a key to the team's strength.

“They are phenomenal,” Edwards said. “I can say they are the best 1-2 punch in the country at this age level. They support each other and are in an elite class.”

The goalies combined for four shutouts and allowed only four goals in the seven wins over Pittsburgh (4-0), Nickel City (3-1), Barrie (9-0), Pittsburgh (4-0), Ottawa Valley (2-1) and Westchester (6-2 in semifinal).

The Bantam team finished off the Honeybaked sweep with a 6-3 win over the Toronto Marlboros. The teams are the No.-1 ranked teams in the U.S. and Ontario, respectively.

They outscored their opponents 39-10 over the weekend, recording wins over Niagara North Stars (7-2), Indiana Jr. Ice (3-0), Whitby Wildcats (3-1), Clarington Toros (9-0), St. Louis Blues (4-2) and a 7-2 semifinal game win against Compuware.

The team has been on a roll this season winning 50 straight games following a 0-2 start which was the characteristic of the way the championship game started following a 2-0 Marlboros lead.

“We took a time out (after trailing) and talked about being resilient and overcoming the few injuries we had,” Head Coach Pat Peake said. “We came back out - tied it up - got squared and took the lead before the end of the period.”

“We found a way to win today; Paul (Coffey, the Marlboros' Head Coach) had their team prepared and played an amazing game,” Peake added. “If we played 10 times, we'd probably finish 5-5.”

Blake Coffey and Jake Harris netted goals for the Marlboros in the opening minutes of the game before two goals less than a minute apart midway through through the period by Ryan Bederka and Sean Bly tied the game at 2-2.

Ben Gleason picked the top corner of the Marlboros net to give Honeybaked the lead with 4:07 left in the first period.

Justin Bloomfield of Honeybaked and Marlboros' Joseph Mizzi traded goals in the early minutes of the second period for a 4-3 Honeybaked lead.

Honeybaked goalie Michael Latorella made two outstanding saves during a Marlboros' two-man advantage midway through the period to retain the lead.

Mitchell Lewandowski backhanded in his own rebound with 53 seconds left in the second period to open the lead to 5-3. Bly finished off the scoring at the 6:56 mark of the third period snapping in a waist-high goal from the left wing side.

“It's all about teamwork and discipline,” said Latorella, who was named the outstanding goalie in the championship game (Bill Lalley Memorial Award). “I'm playing with some of the best players in the country. It a great feeling and to get a victory in a game like this; I never doubted we would comeback.”

Honeybaked outscored their opponents 39-10 over the weekend games recording wins over Niagara North Stars (7-2), Indiana Jr. Ice (3-0), Whitby Wildcats (3-1), Clarington Toros (9-0), St. Louis Blues (4-2) and a 7-2 semifinal game win against Compuware.

Dylan St. Cyr, who was in goal against Compuware was named to the all-star team along with Honeybaked forward Patrick Khoderenko and defenseman Nicholas McKeeby.

Other all-star selections were: forwards Mike McLeod (Marlboros) and Adam Mascherin (Toronto Jr. Canadiens) and Jr. Canadiens' defenseman Cole Candella.

McLeod was named the MVP of the Bantam AAA division (Ward Memorial Award).