U18 Huskies win Silver Stick qualifier

The U18 A New Hamburg Huskies took gold at a Silver Stick tournament in Georgina last weekend. Contributed photo

By Lee Griffi

The U18 New Hamburg Huskies took home gold last weekend at a Silver Stick qualifier and did so by defeating some of the best teams in the province.

The team travelled to the Georgina Regional where they went 2-1-1 in the round-robin portion of the tournament. They downed Markham 5-0 in the semi-final game before downing Clarington, the eighth-ranked A team in Ontario, 5-0 to take the gold. The Huskies will participate in the International Silver Stick tournament in Sarnia from Jan. 17-19.

Head coach Zach Mark said the win is a huge accomplishment and a step in the right direction.

“All season, our goal has been to cash our ticket to International Silver Stick in Sarnia and to win the Georgina Regional Silverstick for a third straight season. It was a tough weekend and all of our players stepped up big time. Being able to repeat and complete the three-peat is huge for our team, our players, our coaching staff and our program.”

He added the team is hungry since it hasn’t been able to win the international part of the tournament.

“Although the boys are happy, we are not content by any means, and we can't wait to go chase an International Silver Stick title in January.”

The Huskies haven’t lost a league game this season with six wins and five ties. Mark said he’s pleased with how the squad has done in a competitive Shamrock League. The Huskies are ranked third in the province.

“We have a very competitive league, which helps us when we go into tournaments. We have St. Thomas, first in Ontario, fourth-ranked St. Marys and South Oxford who are ranked 13th. Our boys know that it is crucial to show up each and every night, especially when the competition is this strong.”

Mark added it pushes his team to be at their best every night.

“We truly know that it is a league where anyone can win on any night. We have done well so far, with ties against St. Thomas and St. Marys, and we look forward to matching up with those teams late in the season and into playoffs.”

Mark explained his team has all the tools to make a run in the playoffs, hopefully ending in an Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) title.

“This team is one of the tightest-knit groups I have had the privilege to coach. We in New Hamburg have a unique situation where 90 per cent of our players go to the same high school, they are on the same high school hockey team, they hang out in class and at lunch, and it is super cool to see them grow together as a group.”

Mark added the Silver Stick weekend showed the team has what it takes to win in big games and in big moments.

“Sometimes in league, we like to take shifts off, or not be our best all the time, which is understandable, but when the going gets tough, this group gets tougher. They buy into our gameplan and our systems, and they do everything it takes to be able to win big games. That showed this weekend.”

U21 Titans bring home silver

The Tavistock Titans competed at a Silver Stick qualifier in Lucknow last weekend.

They downed the Mid-Huron Huskies 3-1 and Walkerton 3-1. They earned a spot in the tournament final after a 4-1 win over the Huron Bruce Blizzard, but dropped a 4-2 decision to the Lucan Irish.