U15 A Boys find ways to win, capture gold at South Simcoe Classic
- Turner Roth
- Oct 15
- 3 min read
By Turner Roth
The U15 A Boys St. Marys Rock won the gold medal at the South Simcoe Classic tournament Oct. 3-5.
Head coach Ryan Hewlett described the keys to his team’s success in the tournament, which they wasted no time displaying.
“Right from the first game, we came out with a high level of intensity and were intent on setting the tone early,” Hewlett told the Independent. “We controlled a lot of the play in each game, but we found a way to win differently in every game, which is pretty impressive this early in the season.”
The tournament saw each team play four round-robin games, leading to the top two teams battling for the gold medal. In the first game, the Rock set a precedent for the rest of the weekend, with constant offensive-zone pressure and scoring from each line, leading to a dominant 4-1 victory over Burlington.
The second game against Stouffville saw the Rock struggle to catch any breaks, but still manage to control the play, and they finally began to solve the opposing goaltender to earn a 3-1 win.
Hewlett described the third round-robin game against Newmarket, the presumed tournament favourite, as a bizarre affair that St. Marys ultimately won thanks to their play in the defensive zone.
“This was a strange game,” Hewlett said. “We controlled the play in the first two periods before playing shorthanded for almost the entire third, despite an ironically clean game. At one point, we had five players in the penalty box but kept battling on the penalty kill. We took a 2-1 lead midway through the third and held onto it while being shorthanded for most of it.”
The fourth and final game of the round-robin was a high-scoring rout over the King Rebellion, with all lines contributing to an 8-0 win to advance to the championship game.
The numerous lamp-lightings were part of a theme for St. Marys, which had six of the top seven point-getters, and eight of the top 11. Evan Wolfkamp led the tournament in points with seven, while Landon Hewlett and Luke Showers tied for second with five each. Elliott Hudson, Quinn Porter and Luke Simons each posted four points in the tournament, tying them for fourth in scoring.
In the finals, the Rock had a rematch with Burlington, and it didn’t go the same way as their previous meeting, with just one goal being scored throughout the contest. A powerplay goal midway through the third period allowed the Rock to hang on for a 1-0 nail-biting win to claim the gold medal.
Ryan Hewlett cited the team’s ability to avoid the penalty box and execute on the finer details of their gameplan as being vital to their championship victory.
“We played a very disciplined game and didn’t take any penalties,” said Ryan Hewlett. “Our powerplay scored when we needed it, and defensively, we did a great job of clearing the puck out of the zone. We had great puck support and we really hustled on the backcheck. Giving the effort to these little things each shift proved to be the difference.”
Ryan Hewlett added the team’s play on the defensive side of the puck has seen a major step forward.
“Our defence has really progressed and they are buying into what the coaching staff is preaching. As a result, they are communicating more on the ice, using their strengths both with and without the puck. We were much stronger on the puck and our forwards were back supporting. Coupled with our elite goaltending, it proved that it really is goalies, defence and forwards that were working in cohesion, and with great puck support, that leads to success.”
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