By Tanya Neal, Team Manager/Assistant Trainer
Our U13s played our first two competitive exhibition games against the North Bay Junior Lakers on September 21, winning both 7-1 and 4-2.
These games provided a higher level of confidence going into our first tournament, the Oakville Hornets 2024 Harvest Classic. The U13B Division consisted of 10 team entries. After a 3-game round robin, the top 2 teams got a bye to the semi-finals. Huntsville Sting won their first 3 games 4-2, 5-1, and 9-0, but due to tie-breaker rules, they were sitting in third place.
Teams ranked 3-6 had to play in a 4th game with two teams moving on to the semi-finals Sunday. Huntsville sting won our 4th game Saturday night 6-0 against Orangeville. Sunday morning, we were matched against the 2nd ranked team, Mississauga Hurricanes, while the Kincardine Kinucks played off against the 1st place team, the Burlington Barracudas.
Our semi-final game was a nail-biter. It was 0-0 at the end of the first period. During the second period, Mississauga scored a goal. In the 3rd period, though, at 10:27, Huntsville Sting scored, and it remained a tie to the end of regulation time. The first overtime was a 4-minute 3-on-3, which resulted in no goals being scored. Moving to the tie-breaker rules, a 5-player shoot-out took place, but both teams had 2 of their five players score. At this point, each bench was to call one shooter at a time, with the next goal being the winner. Thankfully, the Huntsville Sting’s #6 Kalee Prentice from Burk’s Falls scored with a beautiful shot, and Mississauga came up short, moving us on to the championship game against the Kincardine Kinucks.
The first period of the championship game ended with no goals. In the second period, the Huntsville Stings #12 defence person Alyssa Lubbelinkhof from Parry Sound scored with an assist from Kalee Prentice. To seal it up, in the 3rd period, with 26 seconds left on the clock, Huntsville Sting’s #44 Centre Avery Turner from Bracebridge scored with an assist from #14 wing person Maple Cuthbert also from Bracebridge. The U13B Bench Staff, Head Coach Nick Andrews, Trainer Ashley Ferrante (formerly a competitive girls hockey player from Huntsville), and assistant Trainer Tanya Neal are thrilled with the coachability of this team, the diversity they bring, and the promise of what the future holds for this group of girls from all over Muskoka. The season ahead will consist of 22 league games, additional tournaments in Northhumberland, Lake Placid NY, Huntsville GHA 46th annual, and hopefully a spot in Provincials!
Judging by the reception from female hockey players in Muskoka and by our community, girls’ rep hockey in Muskoka is now here to stay!
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The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Well done! Congratulations!!