Brant Battalions U11BB capture Championship at 53rd Annual Guelph Power Play Tournament

The Brant Battalions U11BB celebrate their championship win at the 53rd Annual Guelph Power Play Tournament, gathering with the Power Play Cup (and their proud fans in the stands) after a dominant undefeated weekend.

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

The Brant Battalions U11BB squad put together a dominant, disciplined weekend of hockey to claim the championship title at the 53rd Annual Guelph Power Play Tournament, held November 21–23.

Brant rolled through round-robin play with a perfect 4-0 record, showcasing stifling defensive play, balanced scoring and exceptional goaltending.

The Battalions set the tone early with a commanding 8-0 win over the Newcastle Stars. Five goals in the opening frame, two from Jacoby Bonnell, and singles from Blake Anderson, Nash McLaren and Nolan Kearsley, gave Brant full control. Austin Meza and Levi Blake added markers in the second, and McLaren tacked on one more in the third. Mason Monteiro earned the shutout.

Brant kept rolling with a 5-2 win over the London Bandits, backed by goals from Harrison Rusyn, Bonnell, Anderson and two from Kearsley. Ben Turnbull took the win between the pipes.

Game 3 saw Brant edge Brantford 2-0 in a tight matchup. Meza opened the scoring, Anderson added insurance, and Monteiro turned aside every shot he faced.

Turnbull recorded his first shutout in a 4-0 victory over Hamilton to close out the round robin, with Rusyn striking twice and Blake and Kearsley adding singles.

With a spotless record, Brant advanced to the semifinals for a rematch with London. This time, the Battalions shut the door completely in a 7-0 decision. Monteiro preserved the shutout with a beauty last-minute stop from London attackers. Scoring came from Bonnell, Rusyn, Thoms (2), Kearsley (2) and Blake. The win broke the team’s semi-final curse. They were knocked out of the Aurora Early Bird Tournament and the South Oxford Tournament in the semi final rounds. 

Sunday’s final pitted two undefeated teams—Brant and host Guelph—against one another in a high-tempo, hard-checking showdown.

Kearsley opened the scoring for Brant with a highlight-reel unassisted goal, but Guelph responded minutes later to tie it heading into the first intermission. Guelph added another just seven seconds before the end of the second period to take their only lead of the game.

Brant answered immediately in the third, with McLaren burying a breakaway to pull the game even. The two teams traded chances through a tense, fast-paced stretch before the tournament’s defining moment: Landon Kristman scored the game-winner, his first of the season, clinching the championship title for Brant.

Turnbull stood tall in net throughout the final, supported by a strong defensive corps that included Jett Rollins, Henry Glowala, Will Goslin, Jarome Burke, Gordon Fisher and Chuck Manikus. Over the tournament, Brant allowed fewer than 10 shots against in every game, thanks to disciplined structure, relentless backchecking and smart puck management. With tiebreakers based on goals against, the Battalions focused on protecting their goaltenders once they built a lead, an approach that proved critical.

Offensively, Brant’s scoring was spread across the lineup, with forward units moving the puck with patience and purpose. Their ability to set up teammates and sustain pressure became a hallmark of their play.

Head Coach Jon Kristman said the team’s commitment to effort late in games ultimately made the difference.

“The big difference between us and Guelph in the final was the resilience and amount of effort we continued to put in the second half of the game that wore down Guelph,” he said.

Kristman added that the group found its identity over the weekend.

“I believe the kids developed an identity as a fast, hard-working team. They executed well as the weekend went on.”

With a championship banner now in hand, the Brant Battalions’ strong showing in Guelph sets a high bar for the rest of their season as they look to claw their way to the top of the Southern Counties scoreboard.