London Jr. Knights Green and Gold Invitational Tournament, News (Huron Perth Lakers)

York-Simcoe Express

This fast, clean game was one of the best you'll ever see and a true indicator of just how good a team Chris Stewart's Minor Midgets are. Brandon Priestap scored the first goal of the game on a two on one, after receiving a nice drop pass in the slot from Ray Huether and letting go with the quick wrister. The Express evened the score in the second period. With three minutes and change left to play in the game, York-Simcoe was given the game's only penalty. On the power play, Ryan Watson was trailing a three on one.  Colt Pickett's shot was high off the glass but Brady Wiffen quickly retrieved the puck and sent it out front to Watson. Before the goalie could position himself, Watson had the winner. A total team effort but some special mention is owing to goalie Drew Reinhardt who, by all accounts, 'stood on his head' all game!! A 'hot glove' was partly to blame. 

Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs

Shawn Moore got things going at 10:05 of the first period when he took control of the puck in the slot, spun and fired a low one past a poorly positioned goalie. The Chiefs got it back less than a minute later with a tic tac toe play around the Lakers' net. On the power play, the Lakers regained the lead in a familiar way, Ryan Watson at the left side of the net sending the puck across the crease to Brady Wiffen. This time the puck didn't make it across, hitting a Chief and going into the net. The second period started with the Lakers killing a penalty. Liam Maaskant likely prevented a goal by poking the puck away from a Chief who was about to shoot at the open side of the net. At 8:13 of the same period, Elgin made it 3-2 with a power play goal and scored twice more in the third to hand the Lakers a 5-2 loss.

Mississauga Rebels

Spencer Ball should give a clinic on how to catch a player who has a clear breakaway, interfere just enough to prevent him from getting a shot away, and not get a penalty. This first period defensive gem certainly helped keep the Rebels off the scoreboard. In the second period, Brady Wiffen backchecked hard and arrived just in time to poke the puck from a Rebel who was about to slide the puck in after making a nice deke. In the second period, the Rebels got one on a power play. This proved to be the only goal of the game until late in the third when the Rebels fired one into the empty net. The Rebels are a good team but not as good as the Lakers can be. Chalk it up to fatigue, this was the team's fourth game in three days, or blame it on the early start, but this game will be remembered as one that got away.

Quinte Red Devils
In terms of advancing to Sunday, this game was meaningless but the Lakers were determined to finish the tournament on a high note. Scoring on their first two shifts was proof of this. Before some people had taken their seats, Brandon Priestap was in the neutral zone batting the puck to Jake Ringuette positioned on his own blue line. A quick cross-ice pass later and Ray Huether was streaking in on net from the right side. Huether fired from the faceoff circle and the stickside shot somehow squirted through and into the net. On the next shift, Scott Coghlin's snapshot from the point was stopped, but the puck rebounded. Brady Wiffen had the first try, then made way for Ryan Watson to slide it into a half open net. Ty Bilcke made sure the Quinte players kept their heads up by dishing out two huge open ice body checks. Working down low with Brady Wiffen and Ryan Watson on a second period power play, Ty Bilcke made it 3-0 after skating out from the left corner to the faceoff circle and burying a short side wrist shot. The fourth goal started with Scott Coghlin sending the puck to David Sproat in the slot. Instead of taking a clear shot, Sproat carried the puck to his right before sending a quick pass to Colt Pickett parked by the left post. Jesse DeGroote will remember the 5-0 goal for a long time but the Quinte goalie will never forget it. After receiving the puck from Brady Wiffen deep in his own end, DeGroote fired the puck the length of the ice. The goalie played the puck a little too casually with his catching glove, a la Bill Buckner, and left it sitting on the goal line. With David Sproat bearing down to poke it in, the goalie made matters worse by trying to find the puck and knocking it across the goal line instead. At this point, the dejected goalie pulled himself from the game. No doubt Degroote will one day remember this goal as the time he went end to end. Colt Pickett welcomed the new goalie with his second goal of the game off a very hard wrist shot just inside the post. Ty Bilcke finished the game the way he started, manhandling a couple of big defenders along the sideboards. His efforts and all the action described above are now available on DVD. Final score 6-0.

Notes: If you think Lakers parents do a lot of driving, consider this. The Atlanta Thunder draws its players from regions of Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. They get together to practice on weekends and travel 'north' every three weeks. Their next tournament is in Chicago.