Nov 24, 2024 | Brendan Magee | 246 views
2014 Lakers dominant at Notre Dame CCM Shootout!!
The 2014 Huron Perth Lakers spent a weekend to remember at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The team went 5-0 on the ice, posting 4 shutouts and only giving up two goals. Adding to the amazing experience was multiple games at Compton Family Ice Arena (home of Fighting Irish Hockey), a Fighting Irish hockey game vs Minnesota and a guided tour of the fabled Notre Dame Stadium.
After arriving Thursday night, the team was raring to go Friday morning at 8AM vs Indiana Elite. The boys would score two power plays in the first 3 minutes and never look back on route to a convincing 6-0 victory. Game two would see the Lakers match up with the Chicago Phantoms. Although not their best performance, the boys from Huron Perth would grind out a 3-0 win and send a message to the field that they were here to shut teams down!!
Saturday morning the boys squared off with the Vegas Jr Golden Knights in what was anticipated to be their toughest test of the weekend. The matchup didn't disappoint with the Lakers holding a 3-2 lead late in the game before adding an empty netter to secure the hard fought win. After a tour of the historic Fighting Irish football stadium the boys took to the ice vs Fox Motors. Full of inspiration after hearing the history of Knute Rockne, the Four Horsemen, Irish Football National Championships and of course Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, Fox Motors didn't stand a chance as the boys in black and maroon rolled to another convincing 6-0 win.
After playing game 4 on the Olympic pad at Compton Family Ice Arena, the boys and their families threw their gear in their cars and headed back into the double pad arena to do some more team bonding and watch the Fighting Irish hockey team square off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. After falling behind 3-1 the Irish battled back to tie the game but would eventually fall 5-3 to the highly ranked Golden Gophers who boasted a roster with multiple first round draft picks.
With the event being a showcase and having no medal round the winner would be determined by the team with the most points followed by goal differential. The Lakers would see themselves tied in points with a familiar foe from the Alliance, the Brantford 99ers. With their stingy defense all weekend, HPL was clearly in control of the goal differential and just needed a win in their final game vs the Cleveland Barons Elite. Again the boys from Huron Perth would strike early going up 2-0 in the first 5 minutes. The Barons would never get close as the Lakers would continue play a suffocating defensive game on route to a 4-0 win.
Overall they would end the weekend with 5 wins, no losses, 23 goals for and a meager 2 goals against. In addition to a great weekend on the ice the boys and their families had a wonderful time away at the historic University of Notre Dame!!