The Brock Wild travelled to Richmond Hill this past weekend
to take part in the Oak Ridges Local Tournament.
The Wild came out with 1 win and 2 losses but showed a ton
of class and character in all 3 games.
In the first game the Wild took on a very large Oak Ridges squad who came into the tournament with an impressive 22-4-2 record.
The Wild battled hard but came out with a tough 4-1 loss. The Wild battled hard all game long but just couldn’t find the back of the net.
The Oak Ridges squad used their massive size advantage to hold us in tight check and were able power their way to the front of our net to bang in rebounds.
Despite the major size discrepancy our boys did not back down and played a hard fought contest from start to finish.
In the 2nd game, the Wild took on yet another very large team from Hanover. Hanover came into tournament with a very impressive 12-1-2 record and destroyed Oro 9-1 earlier in the tournament.
The Wild once again played a gritty game, showing a lot of speed and feistiness as they battled against a much bigger Hanover squad.
In the end, the Wild came across the similar problem that has plagued us much of the year. Lots of chances just unable to get the lucky bounces as the Wild fell 5-2.
Although we came up short on the scoreboard this game truly showed that the Brock players and their fans are truly top notch in the class department.
The Hanover fans could take a lesson from our fantastic players and parents as they definitely did not show any of the great sportsmanship and classiness that our team and our parents have displayed all season long.
Despite the obnoxious behavior or the Hanover fans, our boys did not let it get to them and just went out and played hockey. You can be very proud of how well we reacted.
In the 3rd and final game, our boys refused to go home without a win as they battled the Oro Thunder. The boys came out on fire and never looked back as they cruised to a gritty 6-1 victory to end the tournament on a high note.
The Wild may not have come home with any medals or trophies but they definitely represented Brock Township very well both on and off the ice. Great work by each and every one of you.
Missing Hayden Harder on defense, the Wild called up Novice captain Ethan Kirkos (aka “Kirky”) for the 1st and 3rd game of the tournament. He did an outstanding job in both games and battling hard in our zone and keeping the puck in at the offensive blue line.
Underwood, Hunt and Kirkhner also played fantastic on defense for the Wild in all 3 games.
Francis, usually a defenseman, moved up to forward and played rock solid creating a lot of good scoring chances and putting pressure on the big defensemen.
Oke continued his strong offensive play with 7 goals in the tournament.
Housser scored 2 for the Wild and created a lot of high quality chances with some high evergy rushes into the offensive zone.
Bugg continues to be a workhorse for the Wild battling hard every shift and creating scoring chances.
Parry and Malcolm continue to show some great speed as they had several nice chances to score but just could not find the back of the net.
Geissberger showed some great work defensively to help clear the puck out of our end and had some nice chances in front of the opposition net.
Watt had a strong tournament in net making some big saves including a few jaw-dropping glove saves as he gave the Wild a chance to win in every game.
Overall a fantastic effort by every player on the team. Our boys may not be big in size, but they definitely play a big game in the effort department. Our boys showed a ton of character and sportsmanship in all 3 games.
Great work boys! We are very proud of you.
Also special thanks to Julie, Mike(s) and Ryan for all of your effort this year. The team has shown a ton of improvement in every area and it’s just a matter of time before we see a few more W’s on the scoreboard.
As much as I am truly proud of player, I am also very proud of our fans and the parents. Your class truly shone through as you continue to support our players and coaches with a positive attitude whether we win or lose.
The Wild now get ready for a very busy final month as we close out the regular season and get ready for the playoffs.
Let’s go Wild!