written by: The Trainer
Highlanders Get Their Mojo Back at Marlies Tournament
Plus The Mid Season Report Card.
As the 2013/14 hockey season nears it’s mid way point, and as the last bit of turkey leftovers is creatively turned into another casserole, we take a look at where the Minor Bantam Grey Bruce Highlanders are today.
First, the Toronto Marlies Christmas tournament: GBH packed their coolers with turkey sandwiches and eggnog and headed to the Big Smoke to partake in the Holiday Classic.
Unlike last year, where they enjoyed a trophy finish in Burlington with 5 wins and a tie, this year promised to be a little tougher due to the premier teams in this tournament. First up was an old foe, the Kitchener Jr Rangers, and not much to say about this game as the Highlanders layed a big fat turkey egg en route to a 2-0 loss. That would be the only stinker of the weekend. Next game was the Central Ontario Wolves and it would be a gritty game with the good guys playing like their old selves and would come out on top 3-2. The host team would be their next opponent and no one really knew what to expect. Could they win? Keep it close? Plead for mercy? The Scandinave Minor Bantam Highlanders came out smokin’ like a drumstick on fire. Hitting everything, getting in their faces and forechecking like mad. The result was 4-1 including an empty netter for the Marlboros but this could be, you heard it here first, the turning point of this season as GBH played their best game of the year.
The Toronto Coach, at the end of the game, said the GBH compete level was phenomenal and that we gave them all they could handle. The team would build on that game and took the same type of intensity into the final tilt with the Ottawa Valley Titans. With the spoiler role to play, the good guys again showed what they are made of. Another fast , tough hockey game, fun to watch. Ottawa would get a late goal to tie it at 2 but the GBH shut the barn door on them and spoiled their advance to the quarter finals. All in all, a decent weekend.
Now to grade the team at this mid way point. Would it be fair to compare to last year? Ah, let’s do it anyways. At the 19 game mark in 2012 GBH would be 9-8-2 with 69 goals for and 46 against. This year numbers are 8-10-1 with 57 goals for and 38 against. Now you don’t have to work for NASA to see what is going on here. The records are similar but the GF are down. The good news? So is Goals against. Different tournaments this year so it would be hard to compare those wins and losses although it is obvious the trophy cases haven’t been opened this year…yet. No need to press the panic button folks, if the Highlanders can keep up the compete level seen at the Marlies tournament the best is yet to come.
Highlanders grade for this year so far….B
Happy New Year!
Next game: Sat January 4 at Chesley vs. Brampton.