The Glancaster Bombers U15B players were at it again this past weekend, as they battled hard to bring home the Championship trophy from their Regional Silver Stick qualifying tournament. With this win, the U15B Bombers have solidified their position in the International Championship, which will take place in Forest, ON, January 9-11th.
The Bombers made short work of their Round Robin opponents, but had their work cut out for them as they ran headlong into some stiff competition in both the semi-final and championship games...
Games 1 and 2 saw the Bombers facing off against the Ausable Valley Coyotes and the LaSalle Sabres. They were able to skate to 7-1 wins in both games and were able to showcase their capabilities as a 'passing first' team, generating an overwhelming puck control advantage and out shooting their opponents 39-15 and 28-17 for convincing wins.
Game 3 proved to be more of a challenge, as the Kent Cobras came out strong. This game was a battle from start to finish, with the bombers having to really work just to get pucks into shooting positions... They were able to take a two-goal lead in the 2nd period and held on until the end as the Cobras did not relent until the final buzzer. Outshooting their opponents 35-27, the 2-0 win clinched first place in their pool, and the Bombers were off to the semi-finals on Sunday.
The Semi Final matchup against Strathroy finished at 4-0 but the real TSN turning point came at the mid-point of the game, as the Bombers were able to score three goals in the first 3 minutes of the 2nd, a lead the Rockets were not able to battle back against. The bombers seemed to get stronger and stronger as the game went on, bringing the final shot count to 37-21, and clinching a berth into the championship game.
For the first time in this tournament, and only the 3rd time this year, the U15 Bombers were on the lower end of the shot count, with the Talbot Trailblazers outshooting them 29-20. Thankfully, their goaltending stepped in as needed and played a major factor in shutting down the opposition. This game was relatively equal on all other fronts... penalty minutes, puck possession, and scoring. it all came right down to the final seconds as the Talbot Trailblazers pressed hard with their goalie pulled. The bombers were able to hang on with a huge final-second save and a well deserved 5-4 win.
Congrats to all the players for bringing home some hardware for the 3rd straight tournament so far this year. Best of luck in just a few weeks as they head off to play in the International Championship tournament from Jan 9-11.
