The Huron Perth Laker Minor Midgets participated in the Waterloo Gold Puck Tournament on December 10th and 11th.
Sudbury Wolves (3-3 Tie)
The Lakers opened the tourney with a Friday morning match vs. the highly ranked Sudbury Wolves. The Waterloo Rec Centre complex seemed to suit the Lakers as they came out flying against the Wolves. The line of
Jared Zufelt,
Michael Siddall and
Jayden Landry combined for three goals and the Lakers ended the 2nd period with a 3-1 lead.
The 3rd period saw the Lakers retreat from their aggressive play and the result was inevitable. Sudbury scored midway through the 3rd and again late to tie the score.
Joe Metzger was outstanding in net stopping 36 shots and garnering Game MVP honours. The Lakers managed 26 shots and overall were satisfied with the work ethic despite the tie.
Windsor Jr. Spitfires (5-2 Loss)
Facing their fellow Alliance foes,
Coach Hodgkinson had a solid game plan in place for the Spit’s. In the first, the Lakers were firing on all cylinders with solid forechecking and quick puck movement. The teams traded power play goals in the 1st and the score was tied 2-2 after two periods.
As has been customary this year, the 3rd period hasn’t been kind to the Lakers. Despite solid goaltending from Ben Errington, mental lapses and deviating from the game plan caused turnovers and resulted in Windsor tacking on three 3rd period goals to win the game 5-2.
Mississauga Rebels (3-1 Loss)
A fresh new day saw the Lakers face off against a GTHL opponent, the Mississauga Rebels. If anything, this Lakers group is consistent. Strong 1st period starts with good team play usually allow this team to play with anyone for long stretches. Unfortunately, untimely penalties and straying away from a team game often doom the end result. The Rebels eventually took over the game and put on a “six-foot” passing clinic. The final score was not indicative of the game as Joe Metzger's play flattered the score. Greg Williams scored a late 3rd period goal with assists to Nick Castell and Ben Kirwin.
Markham Waxers (2-1 Loss)
Looking to improve upon their morning effort, the Lakers played their final game against the Markham Waxers. Even though both teams had no change of advancing, the game had a surprising level of energy. Some good physical play kept the fans entertained. Mac MacSorley scored from the point in the 2nd (assist to Riley McCabe) to tie the game at one.
Unfortunately, the Waxers scored late in 3rd to seal a 2-1 victory. Ben Errington was solid in net stopping 26 shots.
Overall, the tournament had a number of positives. Goaltending was excellent and the team continues to play solid defensive hockey. Goal scoring continues to be problematic and the Lakers will need to improve offensive team play to reverse this trend.
submitted by Mich Landry