The Pharmasave Midget Rep's are Wingham Regional Silverstick Champions!
The weekend was a very busy one for the Midget Rep's. After starting the tournament the previous Sunday with a 7-0 win against Huron Bruce, with goals from Butler (2), Vankerrebroek (2), Bruce, Moodie and Leonard, and a shut out for Ben Serrador, the boys traveled back for a morning game versus TCDMHA (Durham-Chatsworth).
The first two periods saw Norwich dominating but failed to find the back of the net and went into the dressing room down 2-0. The boys came out in the third flying with Lane Vanboekel opening up the scoring for Norwich with a shot from the point. Not long after a scramble at the net ended up with the puck on Logan Walters stick and found the back of the net to tie it up. In what looked like to be a tie, with 1:30 left in the game, Carson Dyment came out of the corner and put one in short side on the TCDMHA goaltender. With the score then 3-2 they held off TCDMHA for the come back win. Assists in the game went to Kelner, Walters, Dyment, B. Vanvliet, Vankerrebroek and VanWilligen.
Saturday night Norwich faced the host team Wingham who were also 2-0 at the time, to decide who would take top spot in the pool. The game went back and fourth with Norwich coming out with a 3-1 win to move on to the semi-finals. Goals: Martin, Dyment, B. Vanvliet. Assists: Bruce, Dyment.
Oddly enough they would face Wingham again as they claimed the wildcard spot out of the 3 midget pools. Norwich was not messing around as they came out flying and netted 4 goals to take a commanding lead. Wingham was able to answer with 1 but Norwich came right back and scored 2 more times to take the game 6-1. Goals: VanWilligen (2), Moodie, Bruce, Martin, Leonard. Assists: Butler (2), Moodie (2), Martin, VanWilligen and Vankerrebroek.
The finals saw a familiar opponent in St. George and a hard working game from both sides. Scoring 1st was St. George on a turnover and a fluttering puck shot that found its was into the net. Norwich was controlling the play but could not seem to put one past the opposing goaltender. Late in the 2nd Ethan Butler came streaking down the wing and dropped it back to Tyler Martin, Martin put the puck on net as Cooper VanWilligen came in to pick up the rebound and tie the game up as the second period ended.
Tied 1-1 heading into the 3rd the boys came out flying. After 10 minutes no one had seemed to find the net until a cross ice pass came to Logan Walters and he put one past the St. George goaltender with 5 minutes remaining. The last minutes of the game saw goaltender Jacob Orth make some key saves as St. George tried to tie it back up. The game ended in a 2-1 win for Norwich as the Midgets captured the Regional Silverstick title for the very first time. Assists in the game also went to Martin, Butler, Brackenbury and Kelner.
The boys will now move on to International Silverstick in Forest this coming January!