Brant U11BB battles to semi-finals in first tournament outing

The Brant U11BB Battalions gather for a quick huddle between periods of the semi-final game at the Aurora Early Bird Tournament, held September 26–28.

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

The Brant Battalion U11BB squad kicked off its season with an impressive showing, skating all the way to the semi-finals of a 12-team event before bowing out to a disciplined Burlington team.

Brant opened the Aurora Early Bird Tournament against Glancaster, battling through a scoreless first period before erupting for three goals in the second. Jacoby Bonnell, assisted by Alex Thoms, broke the ice, followed by markers from Nash McLaren, set up by Landon Kristman, and Blake Anderson, who struck unassisted. Glancaster cut into the lead early in the third, but Brant answered with goals from Jarome Burke and Thoms to secure a 5-1 victory.

The second game against the Brock Wild was a nail-biter from start to finish. Bonnell staked Brant to a first-period lead, assisted again by Thoms. Both teams traded goals in the second with Bonnell scoring unassisted and Thoms adding another with help from Bonnell and Kristman. Brock tied the game midway through the third, but with just 21 seconds remaining, Thoms buried the winner on a feed from Levi Blake, lifting Brant to a 4-3 win.

Momentum carried into Game 3 as Brant dominated Bruce Grey in a commanding 13-0 shutout. Goals came in waves from across the roster, with standout performances by Nolan Kearsley, Bonnell, Anderson, Thoms, and Austin Mezza.

The round robin wrapped up with a showdown against Centre Wellington, with both teams entering undefeated. Kearsley and Bonnell each netted unassisted goals for Brant, but Centre Wellington proved too strong, skating away with a 6-2 win despite 15 saves by goaltender Ben Turnbull.

Brant’s run ended in the semi-finals with a 3-0 loss to Burlington. Netminder Mason Espinola stood tall, turning aside 12 shots and shutting down several breakaways, but Burlington managed one goal per period to advance.

Coach Jon Kristman said he was proud of how his players came together so quickly in their first tournament.

“Right from the first game the kids skated hard and put constant pressure, making it hard for other teams to move or control the puck,” Kristman said.

He added the weekend was as valuable off the ice as on it.

“Just getting to participate in a lot of team activities together helped create some bonding,” he said.

For Kristman, the highlight was the entire experience.

“The whole tournament in general was a great experience, and making it to the semis in our first tournament is a good step to build off of,” he said.

The team will start its regular season this week with an away/home series against the Ayr Flames. Brant will skate in front of a hometown crowd on Saturday, October 4 at 4:45 pm at the Brant Sports Complex.