The Garb and Gear Source For Sports Minor Midgets made the trip to our nation’s capital for the 9th Annual Ottawa Senators AAA Shootout. The Highlanders had a competitive weekend walking away with the bronze medal with a record of 2-3-0.
Game 1 vs the Huron Perth Lakers ended with a loss of 4 to 2. Scoring for the Highlanders was Braden Boley, and Riley Robertson with the assists going to Reid Simmons (2) and Boley.
Game 2 was against the Oshawa Kinsmen, and the Highlanders walked away with a 4 to 1 victory. The first goal was scored by Brady Richards off a rebound from Alex Reihl, assisted by Ben Scheel. Simmons rounded out the scoring with a hat trick.
Game 3 was against the eventual Tournament winning team, the Upper Canada Cyclones, with a loss of 4 to 2. The boys played a great game with the score tied at 2 with only seven minutes left in the game. Scoring for the Highlanders was Boley from Simmons and and Kyle Hunter from Scheel and Simmons, both even strength goals in the third period. The penalty kill was working well as they were able to kill of both of their two penalties.
Game 4 had the Highlanders playing the Lakers in the semi-finals for a shot at the championship game. From a spectator’s standpoint, this was definitely the most exciting game from the weekend to watch. The first two periods were full of end to end battles without either team giving up a goal. The Highlanders were the first on the scoreboard with a goal by Colin Rigney, assisted by Hunter. The Lakers were able to tie up the game with just over 5 minutes left in the period and the third period ended in a 1 to 1 tie. The overtime periods of 3 minutes of 4 on 4 and 3 minutes of 3 on 3 provided the same excitement of the first two periods and the game ended with the score tied at 1 to 1, sending it to a shoot out. It took five shooters for the Lakers to claim the win, but Keegan McLelland had a great goal to keep the Highlanders alive after the third shooter. Goalie Cameron Harron had a great game keeping the Lakers to 1 goal during 56 minutes of play.
This set the stage for the Highlanders to play the Oshawa Kinsmen for the bronze. The boys were ready to go on Sunday morning as they came away with a 5 – 0 win. Scoring for the Highlanders in the first period was Riley Cook from Quinten Bruce. Scoring in the second period was Simmons from Boley (shorthanded). Scoring in the third period was Hunter from Cook and McLelland, Rigney on a breakaway with assists from Scheel and Connor (shorthanded), and Simmons from Boley and McLelland. In net for the Highlanders was Malcolm Young who had his first shutout of the season.
You can check out all of the stats from the tournament by clicking here.