Back Row: Liam McArthur; Middle Row: Nolan Woodward, Brandon Grazier, Carter Addis, Jack Mullin, Henry Branconnier; Front Row: Jett Cook, Noah Weir, James Parsons, McKenna Gray, Crystal Zamzow, Mackenzie Lukey; Missing: Comrie Quill
Submitted by: Craig Zamzow | On the weekend of December 16 & 17, 2017 the Pee Wee B Stampeders encountered a stiff test as they entered a house league tournament in Canora, SK.
On Saturday AM they faced the Kamsack Flyers. The Flyers opened the scoring 3 minutes in before Liam “Big Mac” McArthur was the recipient of a three-way passing play from Comrie Quill and Noah Weir, and fired a wrister that beat the Flyers netminder to tie the score. The Flyers would add a second goal before the end of period one for a 2-1 lead. The second period was scoreless courtesy to the regular strong netminding courtesy of “Big Game” James Parsons.
The Stampeders battled hard in the third period but were outscored 2-1 in the period, with Mackenzie Lukey scoring for the Stamps, for a 4-2 Final.
After a short break they faced the fresh Wynyard Monarchs. The eventual tourney champs arrived with only 8 skaters but demonstrated skill and excellent puck movement and defeated the Stampeders by a score of 9-0.
The Stampeders returned to Canora on Sunday to face the Saskatoon Bobcat Canucks in the C Final.
With 2 minutes remaining in the first period a Saskatoon forward spun off a check behind the net and quickly executed a perfect wrap-around to open the scoring. The second period was the best period of the weekend for the Stampeders as their forecheck was aggressive and effective. With 5 minutes left in the second period a Nolan Woodward forecheck created a turnover in the offensive zone before Jett Cook “jetted” off the half-wall and fired a snapshot five-hole through the Saskatoon netminder to tie the score. The Stampeders headed to the dressing room tied and brimming with confidence after a great period.
However, Saskatoon came out flying in the third and had the Stampeders hemmed in their own zone for extended periods. 5 minutes in, dman for the day Henry Branconnier, created a neutral zone turnover and displayed his wheels as he drove wide on a dman before just missing the top corner for the go ahead goal.
The third period saw the club’s two centres for the day, Brandon Grazier and Mackenzie Lukey, having their best games of the weekend in all three zones. Their tenacious backchecking efforts surely saved a goal or two.
Regulation ended in a tie. The teams would play a 5-minute 3 on 3 to decide a winner.
With three minutes remaining in OT, a Saskatoon forward broke from the pack at the defensive blueline on a breakaway. Crystal Zamzow took off in full flight closing the gap and lunged at the hashmarks to swipe the puck away just as the Bobcats forward was attempting to shoot. In the final 2 minutes McKenna Gray made a key shot block in the slot to thwart a good opportunity from a point shot. However, the clear MVP of the game was once again James Parsons between the pipes.
With the game remaining tied after OT the team was advised it would go to a shootout one round at a time.
Saskatoon earned the right to shoot first and their shooter went bar-down on the blocker side to give the Bobcats the lead. The Stampeders sent out Jack Mullin who would need to score to extend the game. Mullin waltzed in and fired a wrister high to the glove side, and the goalie got most of it, but the shot had enough power to roll up the glove and into the net to tie the score again. The next Bobcat shooter skated in and attempted a deke, but Parsons read him like a book and poke-checked the puck harmlessly to the corner. The Stampeders sent out Carter Addis to shoot. Addis strided in patiently over the blueline before faking backhand and pulling the puck back to his forehand and snapping the game winner over the goaltender’s blocker and earn the banner.
The club gets a well-earned couple weeks off over the Holidays and will hit the road to Nipawin for another tough house league tournament on the weekend of January 20th & 21st.