Grey Bruce Stephen’s Equipment Minor Midget AAA Highlanders Win in the Kitchen and On the Ice in SCTA Showcase
The Grey Bruce Stephens Equipment Minor Midget AAA Highlanders won both in the kitchen and on the ice at the OMHA Showcase in St. Catherine’s the weekend of Jan 26-27. The OMHA Showcase features eleven teams from the South Central [SCTA] Minor Midget AAAs battling head-to-head in a series of games in front of Junior and University scouts. The event is promoted as a preview of the top picks in next spring’s Ontario Hockey League draft.
What they don’t advertise is that it also includes a chilli cook-off where each of the eleven teams submits their best chilli entry purely for bragging rights and the coveted golden ladle award. It was a proud moment when it was announced prior to the Highlanders second game that their chilli cook-off team, lead by Trainer Steve Anderson, would be bringing home the ladles. Congratulations and let the chirping begin!
The Minor Midgets did play some hockey too. The first game was against the Buffalo Regals in the final regular season meeting between the two clubs. Grey Bruce headed into the game with a 2-0-1 record against the Regals this season. The game started slow with no scoring in the first. In the second however, the Highlanders exploded for 3 goals; the first on the power play by Andrew Turnbull, the second even strength by Ethan Skinner and the third on an unassisted shorthanded marker by Spencer Elder. Assist were awarded to Ben Van Ooteghem (2), Turnbull and Kyle Betts. The Regals scored one mid-way through the third but would get no closer.
The second Showcase game for the Highlanders was against the hometown Niagara North Stars. The North Stars play a frustrating style of hockey that forces their opponents to capitalize on their scoring chances or risk losing. For the most part Grey Bruce dominated the game but just like the first match-up earlier in the season, had trouble finishing the quality scoring chances they created.
Finally, at the 5 minute mark of the first, Skinner netted his first of two converting a pass out from behind the net from Van Ooteghem after the puck was sent in deep by Graydon McArthur. The Stars tied it up but then with just 16 seconds left in the middle frame on a 2-on-1 Van Ooteghem fed Skinner who buried his second of the game. Niagara North would tie it yet again in the second only to let the Highlanders take their third lead of the game midway through the third. This time it was hard work down low by Brady Anderson and Garrett McFadden that eventually saw Betts score. The scored stayed this way until the final minute of the third when the Stars pulled their goalie for an extra attacker and tied the game with only 11 seconds left on the clock coming from behind to tie the game for the third time and leaving the Highlander fans with the same feeling in their stomachs as they would after having after a bowl of Steve Anderson’s championship chilli.
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submitted by Dave Van Ooteghem