Oct 06, 2013 | sbaia | 2048 views
Erie North Shore Storm Peewee Majors – 09/27/13 to 09/28/13
Peewee Majors travel to Niagara Falls for the Grimsby Earlybird Tournament!
The Storm enjoyed a fun-filled weekend together as they participated in the Grimsby Earlybird Tournament and lots of exciting activities in nearby Niagara Falls.
Friday September 27 the Storm prepared for their first game of the day against the Glanbrook Rangers. With a full roster and goalie Nate Jacobs defending the net the Storm were ready for the challenge. In the first period the team played hard and tried to get on the board until finally three minutes before the buzzer Daniel Price popped one in the net assisted by Owen Stannard. In the second period Ethan Litster helped the team out with another Storm goal, with help from Adrian Ridsdale and Rebecca Misiasz. The Storm spent most of the third period on the penalty kill, with Robbie Brush, Franco Shaften, Ethan Litster and Trent Pickle all spending time in the box. Glanbrook took advantage of the powerplay opportunities to get on the board with their one and only goal of the game, robbing Nate of the shut-out. The Storm dominated the game with 27 shots on net allowing Glanbrook only 13. The Peewee Majors get their first win of the tournament with a score of 2-1!
Friday afternoon the Peewee Majors prepared to face the host team, the Grimsby Peach Kings. From past experience with this team the Storm expected a physical game and were not disappointed. This was a penalty filled game, with the majority deservedly given to Grimsby. With goalie Connor Axford in net the Storm had to pick it up a notch as they were now facing a stronger more determined team than the previous one. In the first period both teams fought vigorously for the puck with neither team able to solve the goalie and get on the board. In the second period the shock on the Grimsby players and fans faces was priceless as Ethan Litster scored the first goal of the game assisted by Robbie Brush and Trent Pickle. Unfortunately Grimsby was able to answer that goal while on the powerplay just before the period buzzer. In the third the Storm fought hard through several powerplay opportunities but were not able to get the puck in the net, while Grimsby got very lucky and snuck one in to break the tie and win the game. The Storm was outshot 23-14 in this game but definitely made their presence known through the close score of 2-1.
After the Grimsby game the team and their families enjoyed a pizza dinner together at the arena and then returned to their hotel in the heart of Niagara Falls. The kids spent the better part of the evening in the arcades, with a few brave souls venturing through a very scary haunted house, as they waited for word on the game time for Saturday. Unfortunately the team ended up in the dreaded 9am time slot.
Saturday September 28 once again the Peewee Majors were paired up with the Glanbrook Rangers. Unlike their last meeting this game saw both teams receiving multiple penalties, starting with the only two girls in the entire tournament, KayCyn Hernandez and Rebecca Misiasz, in the box together! Don't mess with those Storm girls!! The two girls were quickly joined by Daniel Price giving Glanbrook a huge advantage which fortunately they were unable to do anything with. The Storm on the other hand took advantage of the rare occurrence when they were at full strength to score the only goal in the first period by Robbie Brush with help from Ethan Litster. In the second the Storm added one more to their tally with a goal by Kristian Pelling assisted by Mitchell Renaud. Glanbrook got one past goalie Nate Jacobs while on the powerplay seconds before the period buzzer as they tried desperately to close the gap. In the third Glanbrook continued to draw penalties helping the Storm to score their third of the game with a goal by Austin Marr assisted by Kristian Pelling. The game ended with a final score of 3-1 for the Storm allowing them to proceed to the semi-finals. The Peewee Majors outshot their opponent by an incredible 34-5! Great work out there Storm!!!
Saturday afternoon the Storm once again faced the Grimsby Peach Kings in their bid to make the finals. The first period both teams hit the ice fighting hard for possession of the puck. Once again the Storm struck first as Ethan Litster solved the goalie with assistance from Kristian Pelling. The period ended with the Storm leading and Grimsby frustrated. In the second period Grimsby took advantage while on the powerplay and tied it up halfway through the period. In the third both teams showed their desperation as they drew penalty after penalty, with Grimsby in the box 5 times and Storm tough guy Ryan Mucha earning 2 of his own. Unfortunately the Storm was not able to get to the net during the numerous powerplays, and Grimsby at full strength scored two more times taking the win, continuing on and eventually winning the tournament. Goalie Connor Axford did a great job in net fighting off the 22 Grismby shots on net while the Storm had 11. The team did a great job in this tournament and played very physical and skillful games! This tournament experience will certainly help in a few weeks at the next tournament in Ann Arbor!
The highlight of the tournament weekend was held later Saturday afternoon as the Peewee Majors and friends split up into three groups to participate in a very exciting, challenging and hilarious scavenger hunt through the streets of Niagara Falls! Each group was given a camera and a list of tasks to complete, such as obtaining restaurant souvenirs, questioning local merchants and taking some very creative and entertaining pictures in the process. The picture tasks included upside down shots, silly hats, silly glasses, dogs, someone dressed in black and many more. All the teams did a great job and finished within a couple points of each other, but the Falls team consisting of KayCyn, Robbie, Daniel & Mitchell came out slightly ahead, with each receiving a custom made Storm bag filled with goodies. Honorable mention goes to the Sugar Mountain and Burger King teams! Special thanks to Lisa Pelling for doing such a fantastic job organizing this fun event for the kids! Have a look at some of the great pics taken by the teams in the photo gallery under “Niagara Falls Scavenger Hunt”.
After the scavenger hunt the kids once again spent a fun-filled evening in downtown Niagara Falls, going to wax museums, arcades, the skywheel, 3D rides, candy stores and much more! All in all it was a great weekend adventure for the Peewee Major Storm!!