MINOR HOCKEY ROUND-UP
Busy night at PRC Monday for SMMHA
teams
Hubbard
Bantam girls extend first-place lead in LLFHL
By Pat Payton
It was a very busy night at the PRC on Monday (Dec. 10) as St. Marys minor hockey teams hosted a total of six games. SMMHA teams won two, tied two and lost two.
The two winning teams were the Hubbard Pharmacy Bantam ‘B’ girls and the Cement ‘BB’ Midgets. Both were important victories for the two teams.
The Hubbard Bantams skated to a 2-0 Lower Lakes Female Hockey League win over the Sarnia Lady Sting. Audrey Littlejohn scored the first goal and Julia Cameron sealed the victory with an empty-netter. Goalie Emma Luyten had an outstanding game and earned the shutout, coach Liz Simpson reported.
For the Rock (10-3-1), it extended their first-place lead to four points over the Lady Sting (6-1-5) in the LLFHL West Division standings. It also avenged a 2-0 loss in Sarnia just three nights earlier.
Since the Stratford Festival Cup tournament, it was the sixth win in the last seven games for the Bantam ‘B’ girls, who have allowed only 11 goals in 14 league games to date. The team is back in action when coach Simpson takes her Hubbard squad to Lambeth on Tuesday, Dec. 18.
The Cement Midgets, meanwhile, halted a four-game losing skid in a big way.
Curtis Topp and Sam Bolton fired two goals apiece in an 8-0 Shamrock League victory over Mooretown Jr. Flags. The singles came off the sticks of Sam Watt, Josh Mailloux, George Hensel and Thomas Kiestra as St. Marys built period leads of 4-0 and 5-0.
The playmakers were Eric Taylor, Lake Taylor and Julien Boyer with two assists each, and Dylan Lucas recorded the shutout.
“He made a late stellar save to preserve the shutout,” assistant coach Bob Davis reported.
“It was the most consistent game we’ve played yet. A good effort, and good positioning on the attack and quality shots. After the first few minutes, we cleared our end well. Just a good overall effort,” he added.
Brent Nairn’s Cement men, who are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, have three SHL contests remaining before heading to the Pelham Regional Silver Stick tournament, Dec. 27-29.
Forward Thomas Kiestra leads a rush for the Cement 'BB' Midgets during a recent Shamrock League game against South Huron at the PRC. Kiestra was one of the St. Marys goal-scorers in a big 8-0 victory Monday over Mooretown Jr. Flags. (Payton file photo)
Ties for Atoms, Bantams
The two teams which gained ties on Monday were the Dunny’s Source for Sports A-E Atoms and the Frayne Custom Cabinets A-E Bantams.
The Dunny’s Atoms battled Lambeth Lancers to a 1-1 Shamrock draw. Reid Taylor’s late third-period goal, unassisted, pulled the Rock even with Lambeth Lancers who had opened the scoring in the first period. Isaac Cousineau was in net for St. Marys.
Matt King’s Atoms are now 5-6-7 in the SHL standings. They are back in league action Sunday when they travel to Mt. Brydges to meet the Cougars. On Monday, the Rock hosts St. Thomas Jr. Stars at 6 p.m.
King and his Dunny’s squad will also be heading to the International Silver Stick tournament in Pelham early in the New Year.
The Frayne Bantams earned a 2-2 exhibition tie with Ingersoll. Scoring for St. Marys were Owen Boyd and Alex Slade.
Dale Switzer’s Bantams play in Strathroy this Friday night, before hosting Mooretown on Monday at 8:30 p.m. The Frayne squad (12-4-2) sits in first place in the SHL standings, two points ahead of Mt. Brydges (11-3-2). In 18 league games to date, the Bantam Rock have given up just 26 goals.
Peewees, Novices lose
The Home Building Centre A-E Peewees and the Finnbilt ‘BB’ Novices were the two losing teams on Monday.
The HBC Peewees dropped a 3-2 decision to their Lambeth counterparts. Bodi DeBoer and Jonah Lariviere scored second-period goals for the Rock--just eight seconds apart.
Beau St. Louis’s second goal of the night, late in the second, stood up as the game winner for the Lancers.
Sean Porter’s HBC squad (6-12-1) hosts St. Thomas on Monday at 7:10 p.m.
The Finnbilt Novices had the first-place Lambeth team in town and lost 9-2 to the Lancers.
Lambeth (15-1-2) built period leads of 2-0 and 5-1. Blake Moore scored three times for the Lancers, while Dan Dittmer and Declan McCotter answered for St. Marys.
Todd Dittmer’s Finnbilt crew are currently 6-10-2 in the Novice Central standings. The Rock hosts Lucan on Monday at 6:45 p.m. The Novices will soon be heading to their Regional Silver Stick tournament in Pelham, Dec. 27-29.