Mar 20, 2008 | dmoffatt | 2772 views
Leeder and Associates Minor Bantams win SCTA Championship
The Grey Bruce Leeder and Associates Minor Bantam Highlanders capped off thier SCTA season by defeating the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-1 in one of two final play-off games to earn a berth in the OMHA "AAA" Chamionship Tournament to be held March 28-30 at the Roy Twinney Arena in Newmarket.
The fourth place Highlanders started their SCTA Qualifying Play-off Tournament against fifth place Burlington Eagles. DJ Ardis scored early in the first period with AP Mitch Borden and Kurtis MacDermid assisting. This was followed halfway throught the frame by Ryan Coote with Trevor Hughson and Ardis getting the helpers. The Eagles scored early in the second cutting the lead in half to 2-1 after two periods.
Ardis scored early in the 3rd from Hughson and Jayce Dunlop with Dunlop then scoring unassisted shortly after for a 4-1 lead. The two Clubs then each scored late 3rd period goals with Hughson scoring for Coote and Ardis for a 5-2 victory. Jared Kiss picking up the win.
Game two saw the Highlanders remesis 3rd place Halton Hurricanes hand the locals their only defeat in the tourney. DJ Ardis with his 3rd goal of the tournament scored early in the first for a 1-0 Highlanders lead. But the lead didn't last long, as the Hurricanes scored two goals before the end of the first frame for a 2-1 lead.
After an early Hurricane goal to open the third, Ardis got his second of the game from Coote and Ryan Hudson cutting the score to 3-2. The Highlanders battled, hit posts, but couldn't put one more over the Hurricanes goal line. The Hurricanes got an empty netter with half a minute left for a final 4-2 score. Brady Recoski played excellent in net taking the loss but stopping 28 shots.
The Highlanders had still put themselves in a good spot needing to win both games Saturday against lower seeded teams and that's just what they did. The locals first played seventh seed Welland Tigers and they tamed them by a 8-2 count. Hughson and Ardis each scored twice with Hayden Allen, Steve Gardner, MacDermid and Coote rounding out the scoring. Mitch Right and Hudson added two assists, with single helpers going to Ian Mackay, Chris Gillamn, Ian Nichols and Borden. Jarred Kiss picked up his second win of the tournament.
The Highlanders then faced sixth seed Brampton Battalion who were currently at 3 wins 0 losses. In a spirited affair, the Highlanders scored early and often leading this game from start to finish. Nichols scored the first two goals of this game early on and Coote rounded out the first period scoring after a Battalion goal for a 3-1 lead.
Brampton made it 3-2 early in the second but the Highlanders turned it up after that with MacDermid and Wright scoring before the end of the frame for a 5-2 lead. The Highlanders Coote and Gillman rounded out the scoring in the third for a 7-2 victory. Wright and Allen each had two helpers while Cooper Del Zotto, Garrett lewis, Cody Bowes, Gillman, Dunlop, MacDermid, Ardis and Hudson had singles. Brady Recoski was solid in net for the win.
The victory propelled the Highlanders to the SCTA final against number one ranked Hamilton Bulldogs, a tough task for sure. DJ Ardis scored halfway throught the first banging home a Garrett Lewis rebound. The game featured end to end play with several key stops by both gaolies and solid overall play by both squads.
With a 1-0 lead early in the second frame, Ian Nichols took a Jayce Dunlop pass up the left side and scored on his own rebound, making it 2-0 going into the third.
The Highlanders stingy goaltending by Kiss, tenacious forechecking, back checking and the defence keeping the Bulldogs outside the lanes, Hamilton couldn't penetrate the Highlanders defences. With time running out and the Bulldogs with an extra attacker, Ryan Coote picked up a loose puck, raced to centre ice and fired a blast into an empty net for a 3-0 lead. The Bulldogs scored with seventeen seconds left to break the goose egg, but the Highlanders had a 3-1 victory and a ticket to the OMHA "AAA" Championships in Newmarket March 28-30. Kiss grabbed his third win of the tourney.
Five teams advance to the OMHA's with host #1 province ranked York-Simcoe Express and Guelph Storm as the only other two teams as well as the Highlanders confirmed. Injured Highlander Dallas Perkins will hopefully be back in action for the Championships.
Coaches Bert Leeder, Paul MacDermid and Barry Dunlop along with Trainer Bernie Ardis and Manager Herb Hudson are to be congratulated. Good work and good luck!