Ward’s Automotive U11 Storm captures International Silver Stick title

The Ward’s Automotive U11 Storm captured the International Silver Stick A title with a 7-1 victory over the host Sarnia Junior Sting. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

The Ward’s Automotive U11 South Oxford Storm’s coaching staff was thrilled with a 7-1 International Silver Stick championship victory over the host Sarnia Junior Sting.

The players were pretty happy too.

“The craziest thing is, they didn’t didn’t realize how big of a tournament that is to win,” laughed head coach Devin Homick, allowing he never got out of regionals himself. “To pull it off is a pretty big deal.”

The Storm saved its best hockey for last in the Jan. 19 final, leading 3-1 after a period and never looking back.

“Our kids came out and played almost a perfect game,” said Homick. “As good as they can play.”

Carter Balcomb paced the attack with a hat-trick and two assists, Emerson Adam added two goals and three assists, Clark Whatley and Carter Smith a goal each and Brody Biloski two assists.

The morning’s semi-final was a much more closely-contested outing, in which South Oxford found itself trailing 3-0 early.

“We clawed our way back against a good Nebraska team,” said Homick.

Of interest was the fact Nebraska was coached by two ex-NHL players, head coach Warren Peters of the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins, and assistant Jed Ortmeyer, who played with the New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild.

The Ward’s Automotive U11s scored late in the first period, squaring accounts at three before the end of the second. Carter Balcomb scored what would stand as the game-winner in the third, rounding a hat-trick into an empty net.

Adam added a goal and two assists, Owen Sazatzky his team’s first goal, and Biloski, Max Prouse and Lincoln Whittington a helper apiece.

“No panic, we just got back into playing our game and clawed our way back,” said Homick. “That was our biggest challenge.”

The Sarnia A draw featured 15 teams in all, seven American and eight from Canada, more specifically, all from Ontario. They were divided into three pools of five, with the winners of each pool plus one wild card advancing to the semi-final round.

“To guarantee your spot, you had to win your pool,” said Homick. “Every game was important.”

The Storm opened against the Vaughan Rangers, scoring 16 seconds into the game en route to a 4-2 win. The game was tied at two after the first period, with South Oxford notching two unanswered markers in the second.

“And held them in the third,” said Homick.

Adam figured in on all his team’s scoring with two goals and two assists, Biloski added one of each, Balcomb a goal and Tommy Thomson and Whatley each an assist.

The Ward Automotive U11s had an easier time of it in their second outing, skating to a comfortable 10-3 decision over the Traverse City, Michigan North Stars.

“Lots of scoring from lots of kids.”

Balcomb finished with four goals and an assist, Adam a hat-trick and a helper, Carter Smith a goal, with assists to Whatley (2), Biloski (2), Perry Homick (2), Thomson and Matthew Monsere.

Patrick Marleau’s son’s presence on the San Jose Junior Sharks did not help turn the tide in the Storm’s third round-robin game, a 6-3 win that pushed their won-lost record to 3-0.

Adam finished with a hat-trick and an assist, Carter Smith and Balcomb a goal and assist apiece, Biloski a goal and Sawatzky and Brayden Bartram an assist each.

South Oxford closed out pool play with a perfect 4-0 mark and berth in the semi-final with a 6-2 victory over the Mississippi Thunder Kings from Carleton Place, Ontario. Both teams entered the game undefeated, although the Thunder Kings had a tie in their record. South Oxford built a commanding 6-0 lead before giving up two late goals.

“Overall our kids just played good hockey,” Homick summed up.

Adam finished with a hat-trick and an assist, Smith a goal and an assist, Balcomb and Biloski a goal apiece, and Smith, Thomson and Whatley one helper each.

The team got to carry the tournament’s namesake around the ice in celebration, each player receiving a representative pin made of sterling silver, as well as a team banner in recognition of their achievement, and official mention in Hockey Hall of Fame records.

“They were pretty fired up,” said Homick, again, almost as much as the coaching staff. “I think we get more worked up than the kids do,” he laughed.

The Ward Automotive U11s closed out their regular season undefeated, a 23-0-1 record including a tie against Strathroy in their second-last game. Their ‘road to the red hats’ (OMHA A tournament April 14-16 in Whitby) will pass through a Shamrock League two-pool round-robin qualifier. South Oxford is in an eight-game home-and-home series with the fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth-place teams, while second, third, sixth and seventh will play a corresponding six-game set. The top two teams from these pools play best-of-three semis, with the two winners advancing to a best-of-three league final for the single OMHA berth.

“You have to run the gauntlet,” a cautiously-optimistic Homick concluded. “Hopefully our kids are up to it.”