The Pepper Mill Highland Storm Bantam A team started the playoffs against theEnnismore Eagles Saturday afternoon in Ennismore. The Storm team had abit of a slow start allowing the Eagles the first goal early in the first period. They came out strong in the second period but was deflated when a bouncing puck deflected in making it 2-0. The momentumcontinued to build as the Storm stepped up to the Eagles butluck wasn’t on their side just yet. During a Storm power play theEagles chipped the puck and scored on a breakaway. That ended the second period with the Storm down 3-0.

The Storm turned things around in the third period. It began with a rush by Owen Gilbert a pass toZach Morissette and he found the low opening. The Storm dominatedwhile on a power play and got a wrap around goal scored by OwenGilbert. The Storm tied the game 3-3 while on another power play. Facing off in the Eagles end a pass   from Lucas Haedicke to Ben MacNaulland he flicked it by the goalie. The game went into a scoreless10-minute overtime and both teams left with a point.

The HighlandStorm Bantam A team played game two in Haliburton on Sunday afternoonagainst the Ennismore Eagles. It was an intense action packed game that the Storm won 1-0 taking the lead in the first round of playoffs. TheStorm set things up nicely during a power play with perfect passes andpositioning halfway through the first period and got the only goal ofthe game. Owen Gilbert scored assisted by Lucas Haedicke and BenMacNaull. Both teams offered lots of end-to-end action but the periodsremained scoreless and Carson Sisson earned a shutout. Great job to allthe Bantam players!

TheJoAnne Sharpley’s Source for Sports Highland Storm Peewee A team hostedthe Parry Sound Shamrocks Saturday afternoon in game one of theirplayoff series and defeated them by a score of 4-1.

The Stormhad the only two goals in the opening frame both scored by offensivemenace Joe Boice the versatile Cole Prentice had “helpers” on eachgoal while Colin Glecoff and Aaron Bellefleur each had a point. A teamevidentally not ready to roll over the Shamrocks keep the pace up andmade the Storm earn everything they got. Dylan Keefer had the lone goalof the period with Ty Mills earning a point on play and Bellefleur his second of the game.

The Shamrocks had some luck when they got on the board early in the third period with a fluke goal. The puck hit aplayer than another and arched up and over the goalie to cut the lead3-1. Later Boice completed the hat trick and put the shamrocks to bedin the process making it 4-1 Glecoff earning his second point of thegame.

The following day and second game of the series had the stormin the Shamrocks’ barn facing the premise of going up two games tonothing or going home with the series tied at one.
Balanced scoringis a key component of any teams success and first year forward NickPhippen displayed that by asserting himself on the forecheck andgetting the storm on the board with Brenden Newhook and Aiden Neavegetting the helpers. The effort persisted and thus the Storm kept thepuck deep in the Shamrocks’ zone. Newhook was the recipient this time as Phippen returned the favour with the assist. The period ended with thevisitors up two to nothing. Parry Sound started to take over the gameapplying efficient force and pressure causing the Storm to turn overthe puck.

The period concluded with the Shamrocks registering the onlygoal and kept it a contest cutting the lead in half. The Storm werelucky to get out of the period only giving up the one goal and not thelead. The third period started with the Shamrocks still exerting theirwill as they had the Storm on their heels. Two and one half minutes inthe final frame they tied it up 2-2.Then three minutes later Joe Boicedecided to take back the lead which was expunged by the same Shamrockplayer who had scored two straight. Now with the game tied at threeand eight minutes remaining the Storm’s captain Alex Little took overthe game and scored three straight un-assisted coast-to-coastunanswered goals to seal the deal and had the Shamrocks left wonderingwhat could have been.

Game three is this Sunday. Please come outand support your local minor hockey association and Peewee A team asthey battle through some exhilarating playoff hockey.

On Saturday Jan. 23 the Tom Prentice and Sons/RM Carpentry Highland Storm Tyke team were back on the ice squaring off against Parry Sound. TheStorm team scored early and were relentless in their offensivepressure. Excellent skating strategic passing and solid defensive playwere all instrumental to the Storm win. Every Storm player got a goal or assist in the game and our fearless goaltender stood strong to earnanother shut out for the season. Way to go Storm on another bigwin.The team is back in action next weekend when they travel to ParrySound.
By Janice Scheffee

It was an excellent weekend of hockey for the Timber Mart Novice HighlandStorm. The first playoff game was played in Gravenhurst versus theBracebridge Bears. It was an amazing win for the Highland Storm. Addison Carr scored the first goal in the first period and Graeme Armstrongscored a beauty goal in the second. The Bears did score in the thirdhowever the Storm held on for a 2-1 win. The second game the Stormhosted the Bears at the A.J LaRue arena. This was an awesome game by the Timber Mart Novice Highland Storm. Kadin Card got the game started with a great rebound goal at the front of the net. In the second periodIsaac Lee scored the Storm’s second goal making it 2-0 going into thethird. It was only 30 seconds into the third period and Kadin Card fired a wicked goal making 3-0 for the final score.This was Aaron Neavesecond shutout. Way to go Storm.
Next weekends schedule is  Jan. 304:30 p.m. in Gravenhurst vs the Bracebridge Bears; Jan. 31 2 p.m.  inHaliburton at the A.J. LaRue arena   vs. Bracebridge Bears.
By Amber Card

The Dollo’s Foodland and Smolen’s Dentistry Highland Storm Midget A teamvisited the Parry Sound Shamrocks on Friday night for the opening salvoin the best of five playoff series. It started out as a tentative affair as both teams were finding their playoff legs with Haliburton‘s JaydonWood finding the back of the net first with the Storm on a power playmidway through the first on a flawless feed from Owen Patterson-Smithwho had an outstanding game. The first ended with the locals still ahead 1-0 with both teams having a few chances but neither able to sustainpressure in the offensive zone. The second found Parry Sound taking theplay more to the Storm and were able to put one past goaltender ParkerSmolen a minute into the period and again with five minutes left to take a 2-1 lead into the final segment. With the “luck of the Irish” behindthem the Shamrocks came out flying and scored a quick one to take a 3-1lead. The defensive stylings of the Storm proved their nemesis as theycould not maintain any presence in the offensive zone and Parry Soundtallied their final marker on the power play with four minutes left.This seemed to energize the Storm but alas too little too late as MattManning scored in the final minute to end the game as a 4-2 loss.
Parry Sound visits Minden on Friday night Jan. 29 at  9:30  and we repaythe favour  Saturday Jan. 30 in the birthplace of Bobby Orr.
Submitted by Katie and Dave Howe

The Bancroft I.D.A/Canadian Tire Midget B Girls Jets received some greatnews prior to their road game in Keene on Thursday Jan. 21. The Lindsay Lynx played spoiler and defeated the Keene Wolverines 2-1 the previousnight in Lindsay. The loss by Keene guaranteed first place in the LLFHLMidget B East loop for Bancroft and home ice advantage in the leagueplay-offs.

The Jets used the good news to jump out to 1-0 lead midwaythrough the first period when Kenndal Marsden set up Kelsey Maracle on a beauty two-on-one rush with Maracle finishing off the play with a topshelf blocker wrister.  The Wolverines tied the game late in the firstperiod with a neutral zone defensive breakdown allowing Keene abreakaway from the red line – capitalizing on the rush and the 1-1 tie.

Both teams continued to work hard and exchanged scoring chances to tryand break the deadlock.  After a scoreless second period Keene gained a 2-1 advantage midway through the third period with a bouncing puck that found its way into the Jets net. The game wining goal for theWolverines came with a deflected puck from behind the Bancroft net thatbounced up and over Katie Hoover’s shoulder and across the line.  TheJets tried but could not find an equalizer goal in the“no-change-in-the-standings” game.

On Saturday night in Peterborough the Jets looked to finish their regular season on a positive notelooking at a first round bye in the first round of their leagueplay-offs.

A slow start allowed the Ice Kats to jump out to a 1 – 0lead midway through the first period when the Jets failed to clear aloose puck in a goal-mouth scramble battle.  Bancroft tied the game at1-1 late in the first period on a power play. Kelsey Maracle foundSydney Feir cruising through the slot and fed a sweet pass that Feirslid past the Ice Kat tender with a low blocker wrister. On the firstshift of the third period after a scoreless second period KenndalMarsden put the Jets up 2-1 with a short-handed beauty. Marsdencapitalized on Marissa Phillips’ great forecheck putting a quick snapshot past the Ice Kat tender. The pesky Ice Kats continued their attackand after a confusion-packed “possibly curfewed” chaoticallyinterrupted finish to the game Peterborough tied the game on with a 2-2 power play wrister that found its way into the net through a maze aplayers and traffic in the slot. The game was cut short as the curfewwas imposed with just under two minutes left to finish the tightlycontested battle.

“Congratulations” Bancroft I.D.A/Canadian TireMidget B Girls Jets on your first place finish in the LLFHL Midget BEast loop. Step up your focus and get ready to ramp up your gameintensity girls as you await your second round opponents in your leagueplay-offs.  Your second half of the season will need your engines firing on all cylinders as you get ready to take flight Jets.  Use yourexhibition game vs Ancaster Avalanche on Sunday afternoon Jan. 30 inMinden at 2 p.m. to start your push into the post season.
Submitted by Dan Marsden