Taking on the Hometown Team in Simcoe's Marci Cook Memorial Tourney by Jenn Russell
The
Hagersville Restaurant Peewee LL Hawks participated in the Marci Cook Memorial
Tournament in Simcoe during their March Break.
Their first game was scheduled on March 19th against home town team Simcoe. The Hawks were out for revenge as Simcoe stole a game from them in Hagersville’s Murray Johnston tournament earlier in the season when they faced each other. Just over 3 minutes into the first period Simcoe was able to squeak one by goaltender Mason Leenders but Leenders was on fire after that and stopped more shots than the fans could count, including a penalty shot that Simcoe earned with less than 30 seconds left in the first.
The second period saw a lot of back and forth action but Hagersville was not going to go down without a fight clearly outplaying the Simcoe team in both the second and third period just not able to land any goals. Finally with over five minutes left in the third Nolan McNeil was out front to scoop up a rebound shot and tying up the score for his team. The assist going to Michael Aube and Brayden Topp. The Hagersville team tried and tried to find the net one more time but as the final minutes of the third ticked down the score stayed even at 1.
Simcoe rules state if there is a tie then the game goes to a shootout. Leenders was phenomenal in the shootout, poking their first skaters shot, catching their second skaters shot and deflecting the third skaters shot easily. At Simcoe’s end McNeil was the first skater, robbed with his shot as their goalie threw his stick out to poke the puck away for the first shot, A.J. Elliott was the second shooter shaking up the Simcoe goalie when he hit him in the mask, the third shooter, Brett Russell, took the puck in and shot high glove side landing the beauty game winning goal for his team. All the kids played a terrific game and the fans are looking forward to some great hockey this weekend.