Sep 14, 2014 | Alexander Hutton | 1089 views
Minor Atom Wildcats Victorious in Markham!
The Minor Atom A Wildcats are off to a solid start to the season after winning GOLD at the Markham Waxers Early Bird Tournament September 12-14.
The excitement was palpable as the beginning of the hockey season arrived. The players, new coaching staff and parents of the Minor Atom A Wildcats had eyes set upon the town of Orangeville and the first tournament of the year, an early bird affair, to sharpen our skills and see what the Minor Atom competition had in store.
A lower than expected enrollment forced the tournament organizers to cancel the Minor Atom A draw altogether. In short order, our general manager was able to secure the team a birth in the Markham Waxers Early Bird Tournament for the same weekend and the boys came ready to play.
The round robin portion of the tournament went well with the team going 2 and 1 with wins over the Uxbridge Stars and Aurora Tigers (2-0 and 8-1 respectively) and a tight 1-0 loss to the hosts from Markham.
The semi final played on Sunday morning was a rematch against the Waxers from Markham. The game stayed tied at 1 until late in the second period when the Wildcats scored twice to go up 3-1. Strong goaltending, tight defense and a solid fore-check throughout the third period ensured the 3-1 score would be a final.
Goaltending and effective play around the offensive net proved to be the story in the final game against the Uxbridge Stars. Allowing only 3 goals in 4 games leading up to the final, the story did not change with a strong 3-0 win to clinch the Gold Medal for the weekend.
The tournament victory is a great start for the season and kudos go out to all the players for such a strong effort right out of the gate. Thanks also go out to the coaching and training staff and management for setting the boys up for success. We all look forward to continued success and appreciate those who help make it happen.