Written by Leanne West.
The Biermans Bantams had a very successful weekend in Lindsay, at
the Wolves Cup Classic winning 4 games and tying one to win the Championship....
The first game of the tournament would see the Highlanders defeat the Toronto Red Wings with a score of 3-1. Jordan Caskenette (Owen Sound) lead the team with 2 goals, with assists going to Braeden Marshall (Dundalk) and Justin Donnelly (Walkerton). Cole Hodgins (Mount Forest) lifted the one goal lead with a final goal, finding the empty net at the end of the third to finish the Red Wings off with a final score of 3-1. Tristen Lewis (Saugeen Shores) would take credit between the pipes for the Highlanders.
The Grey Bruce squad faced off with the St. Lawrence Thunder for their second game of the tournament. Scoring first for the Highlanders, and first in the game was Donnelly, assisted by his defenseman Eric Langridge (Saugeen Shores). The Thunder came back to tie the game and take the lead, but digging in deep the Highlander lads would battle hard for a point, as Caskenette would hit the mesh to finish the game at a 2-2 tie. Jason Goes (Cookstown) played a solid game for his team in net.
The tournament hosts, the Central Ontario Wolves would take on the Highlanders in game 3 on Saturday afternoon. The Highlanders found the net first, with Hayden Duplantis (Saugeen Shores) scoring on an assist by Brent West (Shallow Lake) and Jasper Akiwenzie (Owen Sound). The Wolves managed to take one on the Highlanders to tie the game up, but only for a short time, as Caskenette would lift the team to a 2-1 lead. Taking one last edge off of a tight score, West put one last one behind the Wolves netminder, to finish the game with a 3-1 win. Lewis would once again assist in the win between the pipes.
Game 4 proved to be a late night nail biter for the Grey Bruce fans, as they watched their squad make a hard fought come back in the third to take another win from the Toronto Red Wings in the semi-final game. Down 2-0 going into the third, the boys came out hungry and dug in their blades. Making some solid checks, and working hard at both ends of the rink, the team efforts would provide a pay back, seeing Devin Perdue (Hanover) bury 2, and Brady Becker (Durham) with one, with assists going to Alec Tiley (Owen Sound) and Caskenette to finish the game with a 3-2 win, sending the boys into the finals. Goes played another tight one in the net for the team.
Game 5 would provide the Highlander fans with more third period excitement. Tournament hosts, the Central Ontario Wolves managed to take a two goal lead, despite the hot Grey Bruce goal tending of Lewis. Intermission would once again be on the side of the Highlanders, as the third period would see the Highlanders display their “never give up” play............but it would take a double overtime of persistence to take the championship win. The game winner was scored during 3-on-3 play, and 30.6 seconds remaining. Caskenette would manage to find the net for all 4 goals, with assisted efforts of Langridge, West,and Donnelly (two). The Grey Bruce player of the game was awarded to Caskenette for his goal scoring efforts. Congratulations team, for a hard working and winning weekend!
The Biermans squad has battled hard to play undefeated for the last 8 games. They will hit the road this weekend, to take on the league’s first and second place teams, the Welland Southern Tier Admirals on Saturday, and the Buffalo Regals in a double header on Sunday. Keep working hard boys!
Biermans Bar & Grill is the proud sponsor of the Grey Bruce Highlanders Major Bantam team and support local sports! You can find Biermans at 100 1st Avenue on the main street in Chesley, Ontario. Join us for 60¢ wing Wednesdays or $7.00 burger Tuesdays! Biermans boasts a fun friendly family atmosphere with a touch of class! With live entertainment on weekends and a large banquet facility upstairs with a capacity of 80+, there’s always excitement in the air at Biermans Bar and Grill. Visit Biermans, it’s good for ya!