The Bothwell IDA Bantam Shamrock Team completed their season
this past weekend. The start of the
season began with uncertainty with lack of players for our team and a neighboring
center of West Lorne. The Assocations decided
that it was best that they join their teams together to come up with one
competitive team.
The boys competed in various tournaments. The first tournament was the Bill Batten Memorial where they played some very good teams. Losing to Tillsonburg and tying Lambeth and South Huron. The latter two teams only losing a few games all year. With stellar goaltending from Ethan Pixuto and Julian Gervais to steal a couple ties.
The Cayuga tournament was a little bit of a smaller tournament winning against Dunnville and losing against Drayton. In a one day tournament going 1 and 1 did not allow the boys to further them in the tournament.
North American Silverstick Regionals. Once the boys got to the New Year the team really started to gel together. Round Robin play had the boys playing Dresden with a win of 5-1, beating Seaforth 5-3, Losing to Six Nations 0-3. At this point the boys had qualified to the semifinals with a tough opponent North Middlesex. Beating them 2-0 with the win had advanced them to the finals. With a window of time to wait for their opponent the boys enjoyed a team dinner to await who their next opponent was. When it came across that East Lambton was the worthy opponent for the final showdown. In a thrilling game that pushed into overtime Southwest won with a score of 2-1 to secure their spot to the North American Finals of Silver Stick and a banner to hang from the rafters.
North American Silverstick started out with a win against the West Grey Warriors with a score of 4-2. Our next opponent ended up being Blyth Brussels Crusaders with a tight game the Bullets could not put one in the net with a 1-0 loss. Their next opponent they faced in round robin play was Mariposa who were a worthy opponent at this point in the season had not lost a game all year. Southwest was unable to break Mariposa’s streak with a 5-2 loss. The loss concluded Southwest’s chances in advancing any further into the tournament.
OMHA playdowns were the next goal for the boys. Starting out with East Lambton the with a 6 point series. The bullets managed to be successful and beating East Lambton in 4 games with 3 wins and a tie. To move on to the next team Lambton Shores. With a few tight games the Southwest Bullets managed to move forward against Lambton Shores beating them in 4 games with their only one loss in overtime.
Six Nations was the next team was vying for the berth into the finals but the Bullets firing on all cylinders and the boys remembering the loss at Silverstick regionals to them. Southwest was not going to give them any time and space. Southwest beat Six Nations in 3 straight to gain the opportunity to compete in the finals of OMHA .
Mariposa who the Bullets had faced earlier in North American Silverstick was their only thing preventing them from the OMHA championship. Southwest ventured East on a coach bus to Little Britain for 2 games as Southwest had lost the flip. Mariposa scored early in the first game to go ahead with a lead of 1-0. Not to be out done Southwest came back with 2 of their own goals to take the lead of 2-1 after 2. Once the third period started Mariposa finished all their chances on any opportunity they had with a final score of 6-2.
Game two seem to be a continuation of the third period and the boys really just could not get anything going. With three players hurt and one suspended the Southwest bench was just too thin at that point to muster any real chance of staying in the game with Mariposa’s deep bench. Handing the boys a 11-1 loss.
Game three was now back in Glencoe and the boys were ready to play. In early play Mariposa controlled the game but as the game opened up Southwest had their chances and seem to be a more even game compared to the lopsided affair last game. With the Southwest bench depleted with just 6 forwards and 4 defence it seemed they just could not must any goals against a hot goalie. The final score ended up being 6-0 for Mariposa.
Overall the boys had a very successful year
Regional Silverstick Champs
OMHA Bantam C Finalist
With a final record of 27-16-5
Players were Cooper Aubertin, Brody Bodkin, Ethan Carruthers, Magnum Fodor, Dylan Gould, Joel Kleinjan, Owen Lunn, Jack McAlpine, Dawson Muscutt, Drew McIntyre, Charlie Pierce, Noble Stonefish, Jackson Woods, Julian Gervais and Ethan Pixuto.