A Busy Two Weeks for the Minor Atom Selects, News, Minor Atom, 2012-2013, Select (Waterloo Minor Hockey)

ALLIANCE HOCKEY Digital Network

This Team is part of the 2012-2013 season, which is not set as the current season.
News Article
News Article Image
Nov 15, 2012 | Ryan Scott | 1213 views
A Busy Two Weeks for the Minor Atom Selects
As the Minor Atom Selects prepare for their upcoming Niagara Falls Tournament in New York in three weeks, they embarked on a two game road trip to Cambridge and Burlington this past week, as part of a three game in two week stretch. The young Wolves were looking to increase their win total after a great showing in their season opening 4-3 victory in Guelph, but were rudely welcomed by a big, strong Cambridge Hornets team.

The first period was a back and forth affair with the play residing in the neutral zone for most of the period. The Hornets began the scoring late in the first by a rocket one timer on starting netminder James Smith that even goalie coach/assistant head coach Brent Golem proclaimed he wouldn't have made if he was in net. 

In the second period the Wolves tried to get the puck flowing in the Cambridge direction but a rough Hornets team would not allow it and the flood gates began to open as the bounces turned toward the Cambridge side. The Hornets netted two goals in the period and went up 3-0 heading into the final frame. 

The Wolves started the period determined to get on the board and the line of Matthew Hohendorn, Aiden Shah and Grady Simpson continued their strong defensive play leading to one of the first scoring chances of the game on a rush by the trio that was saved by the strong Hornet netminder. The Hornets began to push the play into the Wolves end once again and scored three final goals to put the game out of reach.

Regardless of the score, the Wolves would not quit and kept working hard as a team to break the Cambridge shutout. Co-captain Wesley Evans drove the puck down the ice and delivered a nice pass to line-mate and assistant captain Aiden Fox leading to Fox's first goal of the season and breaking the shutout. The game ended 6-1 but the Wolves showed they are a team that never quits and doesn't get down on one another when the game doesn't go their way. Receiving the Player of the Game puck was Fox after breaking the shutout and playing a very strong game.

The team then travelled to Burlington this past Tuesday after a hard and productive practice. The team came out pumped up and full of energy ready to take the bark out of the hometown Bulldogs. The first period was another close battle that the Wolves have become accustomed to before the Bulldogs opened up the scoring on a flurry in front of starting netminder Jack Langlois. As the period continued it became clear that the Bulldog team was benefiting from playing in its seventh game after travelling to Niagara Falls, NY in the fall version of the Gene Harrington Hockey Tournament Series. The team dominated the Wolves end causing Langlois to be sharp.

The mounting Bulldog pressure continued into the second period and Langlois stole the show, keeping the score close after some very good saves. The Bulldogs were able to muscle another goal into the Wolves net before Smith entered the game and continued where Langlois left off making one save after another keeping the score 2-0 through two periods, even though the shots and scoring chances were severely slanted towards the Burlington side. 

The third period began with the Bulldogs going up 3-0 on a top shelf wrist shot that Smith could not reach. The coaching staff looked to shake things up sending offensive defensemen Connor Kemp and co-captain Eric Lacey up to forward and placing assistant captain Grady Simpson and Connor Moorley on defense leading to a great scoring chance by Lacey. Simpson shone on defense holding the blueline on multiple occasions and continued his strong game leading to Player of the Game honours. The Bulldogs would score one last time winning the game 4-0, but in a game the young Wolves have no reason to feel disappointed about. The team played a strong team game and kept pumping each other up looking to stop their strong Burlington opponent.

This Sunday the team will take part in it's first home game of the season in a rematch against the Cambridge Hornets at 5:00pm at the Albert McCormick Arena. The young Wolves will be looking to end the two game slide and even up the season series in what should be a much different game than the first. Parents are asked to continue to make their presence known as they have done all season on the road as the team looks to squash those pesky Hornets.