Stephens Equipment Grey Bruce Highlanders Minor Midget AAA Capitalize on Key Weekend Games, News, Minor Midget, 2012-2013 (Grey-Bruce Highlanders AAA Minor Hockey Association)

This past weekend they had an opportunity to widen the 8 point gap between themselves and the two teams trailing them in the SCTA standings (the Hamilton Bulldogs (6^th) and the Buffalo Regals (7^th)) and move into 4^th place ahead of the Halton Hurricanes.   

The first match on Saturday against Hamilton at the Chesley Community Centre was a lop-sided affair with the Highlanders dominating from the opening face-off.  Special teams played a big part as Grey-Bruce scored 3 times on the power play and once short handed in the 6-1 win.  Birthday boy Ethan Skinner scored two unassisted goals, one on the power play, to lead the Highlanders.  Other goal scorers were Brady Anderson short-handed, Kyle Betts and, Garrett McFadden on the power play and Caleb Stephens.  Spencer Elder, Andrew Turnbull, Jordan Vanhaelemeesch, Ben Van Ooteghem and McFadden were credited with assists.

On Sunday GBH travelled to Fort Erie to take on the cross-border Buffalo Regals.   Even though the jury is still out on whether the decision by the OMHA to allow the Buffalo Regals into the SCTA on a 1 year trial basis was the right one, hockey fans can’t argue with the brand of hockey that the Regal Minor Midgets bring.  The previous meetings between these two teams was played on the smaller ice surface in Ayton was a tight checking style of hockey.  On the larger ice surface of the Fort Erie Liesureplex, the game was a much faster and more exciting.    

The Regals got on the scoreboard first less than 3 minutes into the game but Grey-Bruce was able to tie things up before the end of the first when Trevor Nevidomskis jammed in a lose puck.  The game stayed that way until the 4 minute mark of the second when the Highlanders scored twice in a 20 second span to take a 2 goal lead.  The first of came off the rush when Van Ooteghem fed Skinner for a one-timer.  On the same shift a wayward puck from deep in the corner founds it way onto the stick of defenseman Carter Franks.   Franks made no mistake when he tossed it in from the point past a screened Regal net minder.

The desperate Regals elevated their game in the third, had the Highlanders on their heels and scored early to close within one.   In response, the Highlanders picked up their game to defend their lead; even more so when it looked like one of the skaters may have had to strap on the pads after Tyler Fassl went down with what appeared to be an injury that would send him to the locker room.  Luckily, Fassl was able to shake it off, finish the game strong and cement the 3-2 victory for Grey-Bruce. 

The SCTA standings have yet to be updated after the weekend games, but the Highlanders did what they needed to widen the gap between them and the teams below and to potentially move up in the standings.     

Article submitted by Dave Van Ooteghem