Entering a tournament before
your team has yet to play a regular season game may be unorthodox, but it worked
for the midget team in Lincoln last weekend.
The team did play two
exhibition games against Midland early in the season and with the season opener
being cancelled it was a true test to the teams talent. The team did win
their exhibition games against Midland but with the two week break over Thanksgiving
the team definitely lacked an edge.
The first game saw the squad play against the Flamborough Sabres on Friday night. Although our Coyotes came away with a 4-0 win and with some pretty goals, as a unit you could defiantly see the break had taken its toll on the boys.
The second game had the team face the Sailors from Port Colbourne on Saturday morning. It's hard to say if everyone was still pondering the Jays loss from the night before or if it was ice conditions or maybe underestimating the opponent but whatever the combination of reasons the Coyotes suffered their first loss of their early season, losing 3-1.
Onto Saturday afternoon to the crossover game seating the coyotes against the hometown Lincoln Blades. The team had re grouped and won the game 3-1 putting them into the semi finals on Sunday afternoon at 1:35.
This game saw some die hard Elmvale hockey fans support the team. Brantford finished first in their pool and has a big, strong, fast team who play a well organized system of hockey. The Elmvale boys character would never let them back down from a challenge and with hard work and capitalizing on opportunities they saw themselves up 2-0 at the end of the first period. The score remained that way till the dying seconds of the second when Brantford scored with seconds remaining. Then they scored to tie up the game early in the the third. Before the Coyotes knew it Brantford took the lead making the score 3-2. With minutes remaining in the game the Coyotes dug deep and found the back of the net tying it 3-3. Then with a minute left the puck again found the back of the net, for the Coyotes to regain and keep the lead to send the team to the finals. With a few hours before the finals the boys ate and rehydrated to prepare for their last game of the day.
The finals saw the team face off against the Ilderton Jets. The Jets were first to mark the score sheet. The Coyotes soon added a marker of their own to tie the score. It stayed 1-1 thru the second and with two minutes left in the third Elmvale did it one more time to take the lead and then hang onto to the lead capturing the championship banner to bring it home to their barn.
The team would have played their home opener on Tuesday of this week. The team would love your support this up coming season and why not start this weekend when they will play in the annual Brian English Memorial tournament right here in Elmvale. Their game times are as follows 3:40 vs Collingwood on Friday afternoon. 8:20 vs Mariposa Friday night and then Saturday evening at 7:50 against Burford.
In the picture:
BR Greg Kenney, Graham Schepers, Mike Klein Gebbinck, Jeff Moreau
MR Evan Marlowe, Colby Jonkman, Nevin King, Andrew Priest, Jake Lalonde, Owen King, Brandon Lupkoski, Matt Clarke, Aiden McKinstry, Tye King
FR. Troy Bellisle, Charlie Flieger, Kaiden Maw, Ryan Dauphine, Zachary McLean, Pat Brunet, Derek O'Neill