Stouffville Clippers Minor Pee Wee AE – Pickering Spring Thaw Tournament Champions!
By: Lisa Meers
The Stouffville Clippers Minor Pewee AE proved that the
third time is a charm as they earned the coveted gold in the Pickering
Spring Thaw Tournament. It was the
team’s third trip to a tournament championship game this season and this time
the boys made it count. Led by the
coaching staff; Cam Veitch, Noel Jewitt, Luke Austin, Duane Douglas, and Don
Shaw the team earned their spot in the final game by going undefeated through
the tournament and outscoring their opponents 14-6 during round robin play.
A first game 6-2 win against the Pickering Panthers seemed to set the tone for the rest of the tournament. The Clippers fought hard during the second game to score two shorthanded goals in the last minute and a half to tie the game against the Oshawa JR Generals. The third game was also a nail biter with the score at 0-0 entering the final few minutes of the third period against the Kitchener Jr. Rangers, one goal scored by the Clippers with only 1:20 left on the clock and an impressive defensive display to keep Kitchener off the board earned the Clippers their third win. The fourth win against the Newmarket Redmen earned the Clippers an automatic berth in the finals while Newmarket and Kitchener challenged each other for the chance to play us in the final game. With Kitchener winning the right to face the Clippers in the championship game, the Jr Rangers came out strong and held a 3-1 lead after two periods until our Clippers came back with two goals in the third period to tie the game. The Clippers then scored a shorthanded goal 2:30 into overtime to claim the tournament’s top honour- the gold medal, banner and title of the Pickering Spring Thaw Champions!
The team was extremely fortunate to have a fantastic group of parents that have been cheering the boys on all season long. We would like to thank the coaching staff for their leadership, and Leah Hodges, the team manager, for her dedication and hard work all season long. We would like to especially acknowledge Cam Veitch’s last year as head coach. We are proud that he could end his three year term with a championship.
This one’s for you coach!