Minor hockey dispatches for the Storm and Jets teams

The following are hockey briefs for teams based in and around Haliburton County.

On Saturday the TD Bank Local League Atom 2 team faced off against the Huntsville Hidden Valley Atoms. The Storm  had tough decisions to make before the game even started. Goalie Jacob Lloyd suffered an injury to his wrist and was unable to play. Centreman Andy Lippolis agreed to step up and strap on the goalie pads. Huntsville tested Andy early and often. In the final minutes of the first period Eric Mueller intercepted a pass and raced towards the Huntsville net. Although he did not score on the shot the juicy rebound landed on Ethan Thomas’s stick. Thomas made no mistakes and quickly put the puck in the back of the Huntsville net. In the second Toby Posti let a blistering slap shot go from the point and Owen Sisson was right there in front of the net with a redirect to score the Storm’s second goal of the game. The Storm worked hard in their zone and in Huntsville’s end. It was halfway through the third when the hard work paid off. Thomas got his second of the game batting in another Mueller rebound. Assists going to Eric Mueller and defenceman Maxime Little. Andy Lippolis did an amazing job being thrown into the net. He stood on his head providing the crowd with lots of reason to “oooo” and “aw.” Final score 8-3 Huntsville.
Next up on Sunday the TD Bank LL Atom 2 hosted the Huntsville McDonald’s Atoms at the A.J. LaRue in Haliburton. Bryan Robichaud of the Storm’s Atom 1 team was able to provide injury relief and stand between the pipes for the Atom 2 team. Huntsville came out strong swarming Storm’s end. It wasn’t until mid way through the third period that the Storm was able to get one past the Huntsville goalie. Toby Posti made it clear he’d been working hard on his slapshot from the point when he let one go in the third period. The Huntsville goalie never stood a chance as the puck was in the back of the net before he had a chance to flinch.
Not three minutes later Posti let another shot fly. This time the tender was able to get in front of it but Ethan Thomas was right there to smack the rebound to the back of the net for the Storm’s second goal of the game. Despite the hard work from both Robichaud and the Atom 2 team Huntsville ran away with a 10-2 win.
Next up this weekend the two Storm Atom teams face off against each other at the Haliburton arena.

Total Site Services Bantam LL team travelled to Huntsville to take on the home team on the Olympic size rink. First period saw a lot of post shots and near misses not for a lack of trying. Jackson Wilson got the Storm on the board with five minutes remaining in the first.
The second period saw goals by Kolby McGovern Cody Martin and Nick Phippen and beautiful passes from Jackson Wilson and Captain Reese Casey.
The third period saw a lot of action. Casey passed a beauty to Wilson for his second of the game. Then “Wonder twin power activated” as quoted by Jen Casey the Martin brothers made a full length pass to Cody on a beautiful goal. The scoring continued moments later Tyler to Nick Hunter Winder to McGovern and Phippen put the last one in with five seconds remaining. The team really figured out how to maximize playing as a team and passing gets many more scoring opportunities. Our goalie was able to log yet another shutout. Way to go Total Site Service Bantams on a great game.
Submitted by Kathy Martin

Right back to the grind for the Highland Storm after the holidays. The new year started for the G.J. Burtch Construction Atom AE team on Jan. 2 with travelling down to Lindsay to face the Muskies. The Storm shot out of the gate scoring 46 seconds into the game; Liam Harrison fired a pass over to Maclean Rowden who was in perfect position in front of the net. The Storm fought hard throughout the game but fell short to the Muskies 6-1.
A. J. LaRue Arena in Haliburton the G.J. Burtch Construction Atom team played against the Collingwood Blackhawks on Saturday Jan. 6. Again the Storm came out of the gate flying scoring the first goal of the game. Evan Jones scored a beautiful goal to put the Storm up 1-0 but that lead was short lived as the Collingwood Blackhawks quickly responded with a goal of their own to make it 1-1. The second period was a reversal of the first period the Blackhawks came out and had the Storm on their heels they scored the go ahead goal and took a 2-1 lead but minutes later the Storm came storming back and tied the game on an exceptional goal from Jace Mills who was setup by Parker Simms that tandem wasn’t finished. A few minutes later those same two players hooked up again and gave the Storm a 3-1 lead with a shot that picked the top corner over the goalie’s shoulder. Going into the third period up by one the Storm played their hearts out Rowden received a pass from Wyatt Raposo for the Storm’s fourth goal and with under a minute left Mills iced the game with his third goal of the game and all but sealed the win with a hat trick for the Storm.
At the S.G. Nesbitt Arena the Highland Storm battled against the South Muskoka Bears on Jan. 7. It was a tough battle right from the opening faceoff; the games went back and forth but in the end the Storm fell short in a 6-0 loss. Please stay tuned to the Highland Storm’s website for updates on the playoff schedule.

The Cottage Country Building Supplies/Ridgewood Ford Highland Storm Atom A’s hosted the Lindsay Muskies at the A.J. LaRue arena on Saturday Jan. 6. Both the Lindsay Muskies and the Highland Storm came out for a win. The first two periods both teams tried to get a goal. The game remained scoreless until there was only six minutes left in the period. Addison Carr scored a beauty rebound goal putting the Storm on the scoreboard. However Lindsay wasn’t giving up that easy and they scored two minutes later. Both teams tried to make a second goal happen but unfortunately the final was a 1-1 tie.
On Sunday Jan. 7 the Cottage Country Building Supplies/Ridgewood Ford Highland Storm Atom A’s travelled to Oakwood to face the Maripossa Lightning.
The Highland Storm dominated this game with a 10-0 win. Goals were scored by Addison Carr Cheyenne Degeer Brechin Johnston and Joshua Scheffe. A huge shoutout to Aaron Neave on the excellent goaltending and a well deserved shutout.
The next game for the Cottage Country Building Supplies/ Ridgewood Ford Highland Storm Atom A’s is on Saturday Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. at the S.G. Nesbitt Arena versus the Bracebridge Bears.
Submitted by Amber Card

On Saturday Jan. 6 the JoAnne Sharpley’s Source for Sports Haliburton Family Medical Centre Peewees hosted the Durham Crusaders.
The Crusaders were on the board first by taking advantage on a power play and scored two more but the Storm kept battling hard and scored one of their own with a goal by Cooper Coles assisted by Kyan Hall and Aiden Perrott. The first period ended with the Crusaders up 3-1. The second period the Crusaders took control adding four more to put them ahead 7-1. The third period the Storm netted another with Gage Hutchinson putting it in unassisted but the Crusaders added one more to take the game 8-2. The Peewees travelled to Fenelon Falls on Sunday to take on the Sturgeon Lake Thunder. The Thunder struck first but the Storm answered with one of their own in the closing seconds of the first period with Hutchinson scoring assisted by Kaine Brannigan to tie it up at ones. At the start of the second Hutchinson scored again to give the Storm the lead assisted by Austin Boylan. The Thunder came back to tie it up but the Storm took advantage on the power play as Brannigan buried one in assisted by Hutchinson and Evan Armstrong to put them back on top but the Thunder came back 12 seconds later to tie it up going into the third. Both teams battled back and forth but the Thunder scored to put them ahead. The Storm tried everything they had until the dying seconds but fell short with the Thunder taking the game 4-3. The Storm head to Parry Sound on Saturday Jan. 13 and Sunday the 14 to play in the MPS tournament.
Submitted by Ron Hall

On Saturday Jan. 6 at -40C local league Pharmasave Atom 1 team was hosted in Burk’s Falls by Almaguin Ice Devils for one of the most anticipated wins of the season. During the first period the Ice Devils opened up with scoring but Logan Reid answered back one minute later with an assist by Haiden Bird and Owen Megrah-Poppe. The Ice Devils came back with another goal in the first. During the second period Daniel Stephen opened the scoring again with an unassisted goal followed by another goal minutes later by Daniel assisted by Haiden Bird. Another goal was scored by Eric Bird assisted by Carson Jones and Jacob Mantle. In the third period the Ice Devils scored but the Storm came right back with amazing teamwork to score two goals by Haiden Bird assisted by Eric Bird Logan Reid and Owen Megrah-Poppe. The last second of the game the Storm received a penalty which resulted in a penalty shot which Brian Robichaud shut down for a final score of 6-3. Storm on!
Submitted by Chris McMartin

The Highlander and Smolen Family Dentistry Highland Storm Midget team travelled to Bracebridge Friday Jan. 5 and participated in the MPS playoffs. It was a tough weekend being short many players which resulted in a 6-1 win against the Parry Sound Shamrocks an 3-2 OT loss against the South Musoka Bears and a 3-1 loss against the Huntsville Otters. It was a sluggish start Jan. 5 against the Parry Sound Shamrocks. The Storm was missing many players between suspensions and injuries and that showed as the lines scrambled for familiarity. Luckily the Shamrocks are no match even with the Storm’s short bench they skated away with a 6-1 victory. It was an early start the following day Jan. 6 against the South Muskoka Bears. Although it took most of the first period for the Midgets to warm up many players were back on the bench and the Storm team was ready for the challenge. Owen Gilbert got things going late in the first with a hard drive and the first goal help from Matt Manning and Jacob Haedicke. The Bears answered back quickly tying the game seconds before the period ended. The second period was action packed both teams working hard for the go ahead goal. With seconds to go in the period the Bears took the lead. The third period was intense with the Bears constantly on attack but it was goalie Parker Smolen that continued to shut them out. His outstanding saves kept the Storm in the game. The Storm team took advantage while on a power play.
Manning’s pass gave Flood a point shot that tied the game and sent it into three-on-three overtime. It was eight three-minute periods of nail-biting overtime. However the devastating goal came from the Bears and it was sadly over. Later in the day the Storm Midgets met with the Huntsville Otters. This was a do or die game for both teams as the winner would move into the finals. It was a rough action-filled game from the start with busy penalty boxes. However defensive errors by the Storm gave the Otters two goals in the first period. The Storm got motivated after Lucas Haedicke jumped out of the penalty box to pick up Jacob Haedicke’s perfectly timed pass. He moved up centre and his determination cut the defence and chipped it into the net. End to end play continued in the second. With minutes left the Otters got lucky with a goal making it 3-1. That was the end for the Storm they worked hard and did all they could.
Submitted by Suzanne Haedicke

Last Friday the Highland Storm Pepper Mill Steak and Pasta House Dollo’s Foodland Bantam A faced off against the South Muskoka Bears in the opening game of the MPS Playdowns. The Storm’s Desi Davies put the Storm in the lead at the end of a very entertaining first period scoring on his own rebound. The Bears would get the next three goals two on the power play. Brendan Coumbs made it a nail biter scoring with only a couple of minutes left and he almost tied the game with under a minute to go but the puck jumped teasingly over his stick as he stood in front of a wide open net. South Muskoka put the game out of reach in the last few seconds scoring in an empty net for a 4-2 win in a very fun game to watch.
Game 2 was against the Parry Sound Shamrocks early Saturday morning. Tyson Clements scored quickly for the Storm to give them a lead till midway through the second period when the Shamrocks finally found a way to get the puck past Storm keeper Nate Miscio. The Shamrocks took the lead later on in that middle frame scoring on a lofty shot from the blue line past a screened Miscio. Similar to game one the Storm played a very entertaining game but found themselves on the losing end of a 4-1 score.
The final game of the day saw the Storm take on the Huntsville Otters. The boys kept up for much of the first period however the depth of the powerful Otters team finally broke through at the end of the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead on their way to a convincing 5-0 win over the Highland Storm.
Submitted by Gord Hoenow

The Canadian Tire/Parkview Dental Bantam Girls Jets continue to work hard and are determined to hold first place in the LLFHL.
On Saturday Dec. 23 the team travelled to Peterborough to face the Ice Kats. The Jets took the win 3-1. Gillian Rosik got the puck skated it past the Ice Kats defence and got a beautiful wrist shot goal top left corner. Haley Goulet followed adding a second goal from a precision stick to stick pass from Rosik. The final goal was by Beth Brownlee whose patience and perseverance in front of the opponents net paid off when she received a pass from teammate Kennedy Croskery and put it past the Ice Kats goalie.
Sunday Dec. 31 the girls hit the road to face the Napanee Crunch for two games. Napanee took the first win 2-1 over the Jets and the Jets won the second 2-0.
Mackenzie Hudder scored the team’s lone goal in the first game with an awesome backhander right in front of the net. In the second game Hannah McMann and Rosik each added to the scoreboard unassisted.
On Saturday Jan. 6 the team played Ennismore in Lakefield. Emma Neuman scored early in the first with a shot from the blue line assisted by Jaylin Frost. With no goals being scored in the second period the Jets went on scoring streak with their stick to stick passing in the third. Goals were scored by Brownlee Emma Tidey and Croskery. Assists went to Frost Rosik and McMann.
Final score Jets 4 Eagles 0.
Sunday Jan. 7 the Jets took on Keene in Haliburton and won 5-3. Scoring for the Jets were Goulet (with two) both assisted by Croskery Brownlee and Neuman unassisted and Tidey who deked the Wolverines goalie out of her socks with a pass from Rosik.
Bella Smolen has been on fire in net for the Jets adding to the team success.
We wish the team all the best as they travel to Orillia this weekend to participate in the annual Orillia Hawks Tournament. Go Jets go!
Submitted by Linda Goulet