The
Southwest Bullets Peewee Shamrock hockey team sponsored by the Glencoe Legion
are the 2015 OMHA Champions!! It is no
easy feat to earn this title and a huge congratulation goes out to the team who
brought it home for the first time since amalgamation
Over the past few weeks the Bullets has been battling the Centre Hastings Grizzlies for the coveted OMHA title. Their journey to the championship cup began with undefeated play in a six game round-robin action with three other teams, sweeping Thamesford in the quarter-finals, an impressive battle against Plattsville in the semi-finals where they defeated the reigning champions and now an exciting clash versus the Centre Hastings Grizzlies in the Finals with a 4-2 championship win in game #5 to wrap up the series and earn their Red Hats.
With both teams sitting at one game apiece in the series on Saturday March 21 Southwest travelled by coach bus to Madoc to play the third game of the series. Down 3-2 going into the third the team didn’t quit. Digging hard combined with lots of teamwork paid off when the Bullets managed to score 3 unanswered goals. Goal scorers for Southwest were Tanner Doxtator(2), Jack McAlpine, Elijah Barnes and Charlie Pierce. Helpers were Pierce (3), Ethan Carruthers and Shane DePelsmaeker. Final score was 5-3.
Sunday’s game in Madoc provided a much different and tougher outcome than Saturday’s game. After a scoreless first period the Grizzlies lit up the scoreboard at the 14 minute mark in the second. 2 minutes later Southwest tied it up with a nice goal from Nolan Morehouse. Helpers were Pierce and Barnes. With almost 7 minutes remaining Barnes found home for the Bullets behind the Grizzly goalie. This lead only lasted 30 seconds as the Grizzlies scored to tie the game up once again. The final score was 4-2 for the Grizzlies and the win tied the series at 2 forcing a game 5.
Game 5 took place in Glencoe Saturday March 28th with a packed barn full of fans eager to cheer these 12 year old kids on. Down by a goal going into the second these kids just don’t quit and they put their heart on the ice. After shaking the first period jitters the Bullets worked hard and bit by bit started to control the game. Both Carruthers and Doxtator beat the Grizzly goalie in the second to take the lead. Assists were credited to Barnes, Pierce, DePelsmaeker and Carruthers. Third period action saw the Bullets stay calm and focused in spite of the chippy play of Centre Hastings, who for the second time in the series had a player ejected from the game. The hardworking forwards created opportunity after opportunity in front of the Grizzly net. The determined defensemen and defensewomen shut down any opportunities that the Grizzlies could muster. Netminder Peixoto stood strong and confident in net and made the key saves that kept the Bullets momentum going. The Bullets widened their lead by 2 in the third. Goal scorers were Carruthers and Pierce with help from DePelsmaeker (2) and Carruthers. The final minutes were tense but with seconds left in the game the kids were having trouble containing their excitement. The final score was 4-2 for Southwest and boy did they celebrate.
The boys and girls (all with a 1st time experience to the OMHA finals) played extremely hard and as a team prevailed to hoist the Laverne Reynolds Trophy cup high in the sky to make their Southwest community very proud. Escorted by a fire truck and with lights and horns blasting the team piled in the back of two pickup trucks and travelled the streets of Glencoe eager and proud to show off their incredible accomplishment. No team deserves it more. A great way to end a great season of hockey!
The Team consists of Goalie Ethan Peixoto, Players Joel Kleinjan, Charlie Pierce, Dylan Gould, Shane Depelsmaker, Cooper Aubertin, Tanner Doxtator, Nolan Morehouse, Elijah Barnes, Elizabeth Van Bilsen, Megan Hamilton, Ethan Carruthers, Jack McAlpine, Connor Salomans and John Van Bilsen.