International Silver Stick Champs, News, Bantam Rep, Bantam, 2017-2018 (Norwich Minor Hockey)

This Team is part of the 2017-2018 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Jan 22, 2018 | BantamRep | 2209 views
International Silver Stick Champs
What do you get when you have Phenomenal Forwards, Devastating Defense and Glorious Goaltending? You get the 2018 International  SilverStick Champion Oxford Pallet Norwich Knighthawk Bantam Reps! Wow, congratulations to the players and coaches, what an achievement!

After winning the Reginal Silverstick tournament in Watford two weeks ago, which was a great feet in itself, the Norwich Knighthawk Bantam Reps traveled to Forest in Lampton Shores to meet up with all the other winners from the qualifying Silverstick tournaments in North America. With team’s traveling from the United States and all over Canada, the parking lot was filled with busses and colourful license plates.

Friday January 19th at 2:05pm saw the Knighthawks face off against a strong Seaforth Stars, but the Stars were no match on the big ice surface for the speedy Norwich Bantam’s who won the game 5-3. The second game came that same evening at 6:15pm against the formidable West Grey Warriors. Again, the caliber of the Oxford Pallet Bantam’s with their speedy forwards, timely scoring, tight defense and great goaltending out played and out scored the West Grey Warriors 3-1.

With winning the first two games, it secured the Knighthawks a place in the semifinal, but they would have to play the Lampton Shores Predators to see where they would end up in the standings. On Saturday at 2:30pm the Knighthawks took to the ice, and it was evident that the Predators wanted to play. With the Oxford Pallet Bantam’s dominating most of the play they could not get a winner, and even after a ten minute overtime the score was tied 3-3 sending the game into a shootout! A hush went over the crowd, as the first Predator went down the Ice but Ben was looking confident and was able to make the save. With two of the Oxford Pallet Bantam’s scoring and Ben making another great save, the Nowich Knighthawks won the shootout and the game.

With Winning all three games, that placed us half a point behind the Douro Dukes, which meant that we would play against the third place team in the semifinals on Sunday, which happened to be the Lampton Shores Predators, who we had played and beat in the shootout.

So at 9:30am the Boys took to the ice. This game saw the Oxford Pallet Bantam’s dominate the Predators and with a 5-2 win, the nighthawks clinched a place in the International Silverstick finals against the Douro Dukes who had also gone undefeated through the tournament.

At 3:45pm, the final game started at it was evident that the Douro Dukes deserved to be in the finals; the play was fast and went back and forth. Both teams were evenly matched, and everyone in the arena were on the edge of their seats. Douro drew first blood and went up 1-0, but the Knighthawks pushed back and tied it up. Back and forth, the play went with chances on both sides but Ben “the brick wall” Serrador was on top of his game between the posts. Then the Knighthawks scored to make it 2-1 and into the third period, we went.

Puck drop… back and forth… nerves of steel from the players, not so much from the parents! And then the Oxford Pallet Bantams score again to make it 3-1, phew, a little breathing room, but not for long, the Dukes came right back and scored putting them within 1 goal again, and then with three minutes remaining the Norwich Knighthawks found themselves trying to kill off a two man advantage power play for the Dukes! Five on three for two minutes,… it seemed like an eternity! However, the boys were up for the task and killed it off. The Dukes pulled their goalie and threw everything they had at the Oxford Pallet Bantams but were unable to tie it up and as the buzzer sounded, it was the Norwich Knighthawks that were throwing their gloves in the air and hugging each other as International Silverstick Champions!

Hats off to the Douro Dukes, they played a great game of hockey. They along with their parents are a class act and hopefully we will meet up with them again in OMHA playoffs!

Congrats to Ben Serrador, Gavin Leonard and Travis Vermeersch who were named on the tournament All Star team along with three players from Douro, you guys had a great tournament!

Once again, this team game together to play, they score as a team, they defend as a team and they win as a team, they dig down deep when they need to, and help each other out when they are down. Few teams have this kind of comradery which is not only due to the boys being a great bunch of kids but also the way this team has been coached, a special thanks to Jared, Daryl, Roger and Steve for putting so much effort and time in with these boys, this is something they will remember for the rest of their lives.

So if anyone wants to come out and watch the International Silverstick Champion Oxford Pallet Norwich Knighthawk Bantam Reps play check the schedule, their home games are usually at 7pm on Tuesdays… hopefully they won’t put the price of admission up! Again congratulations to the players and coaching staff for a great achievement!