On Saturday Jan. 9 and 10 the Tom Prentice and Sons/RM Carpentry Highland Storm Tyke team competed in the Millbrook Tyke tournament. Their first game on Saturday was against Ottonabee where the Storm were tested early but were able to rise to the challenge. Brady Burtch Brechin Johnston Evan Jones Vanek Logan Jace Mills and McLean Rowden all scored goals to help the Storm seal the victory 9–1. It was another solid goaltending performance by Chase Winder. Player of the game was awarded to Evan Jones.

In their second game the Storm squared off against Lindsay who held the Storm to a 1-1 tie at the end of the first period. Midway through the second period the Storm hit their stride and started to find the back of the net. Brady Burtch Connor Byrne Jace Mills and McLean Rowden all scored goals and helped send the team to the A Finals with an 8-2 win. The Player of the Game was Connor Byrne.

With two wins under their belt and the championship medal on the line the Storm were set to face Mariposa in the A Finals. The Storm put forth a solid team effort with many players adding to the final tally. Connor Byrne Brechin Johnston Vanek Logan Caleb Manning Jace Mills Josh Scheffee and Parker Simms all found the back of the net. The Storm won the tournament with a 13-1 win. The Player of the Game was awarded to Jace Mills. Congratulations team on a great weekend of hockey. The Tyke team is action on Friday Jan. 15 when they take on the Huntsville Otters. Good luck
By Janice Sheffee

The Dollo’s Foodland and Smolen’s Dentistry Highland Storm Midget A team hosted a Tuesday night contest against the Parry Sound Shamrocks in Minden. The game opened at a quick pace and the home side was equal to the task ending the first period down by one. The second period followed at the same pace and the Storm had a three minute five-on-three but were unable to solve the Shamrock netminder and the second period ended at 3-0 Parry Sound. As the Highlanders squandered another five-on-three frustrations boiled over in a physical penalty filled third with the visitors adding another two to finish it off 5-0.

Friday night the Storm traveled to Parry Sound for the MPS tournament a preceder to the play offs. The Highlanders opened Friday night against the Huntsville Otters and we were treated to an action packed even first period with both teams scoring one the Storms by Owen Patterson-Smith. The next period found Huntsville gain an edge scoring three to end the period 4-1 for them. The third the Highlanders stormed back with two goals by Jaydon Wood to pull within one but with the goalie pulled for an extra attacker the Otters paddled the puck into the empty net for a 5-3 final.

Saturday morning the locals faced off against the Parry Sound Shamrocks who they will face in the first round of the upcoming playoffs. The first period pace was a little sluggish by both sides with the Shamrocks using their magic to find the back of the net first and it ended 1-0. The second found the pace picking up and goalie Parker “The Smolen Wall” Smolen had to make key saves to keep the tournament hosts at bay until the Storm’s Chris Thompson evened the contest at 1-1 to end the sector. In the third the Storm felt the game was theirs and relentlessly rained shots on Parry Sound until Mac Rider scored midway through with Chris Thompson following with his second and then scored the trick in an empty net for a 4-1 win a great morale boost against their first round playoff opponent!

The Saturday afternoon game was against the South Muskoka Bears from Bracebridge with the winner playing in the final and the loser having to traverse the foggy rainy long drive home knocked out. Both sides came out in a cautious defensive stance with the Bears sneaking one through quickly in the first with the Highlanders answering later on a feed from Jaydon Wood to Paydon Miscio who was finally rewarded for his mammoth presence in the game. The second period found the game more open with South Muskoka scoring the go ahead tally midway through but Nolan Flood scored the equalizer on another feed from Captain Jaydon Wood. The third found both teams trading chances with the Bears taking the lead once more midway in the fragment but the Storm tied it up with six minutes left yet again by Flood from Owen Patterson-Smith and Miscio. With tension filling the confines of the Bobby Orr Community Centre South Muskoka tallied to lead by one and with desperation filling the local side the resilient bunch netted the tying score with three minutes left on a shot by Patterson-Smith from Wood the period expired knotted at four. This led to a sudden death four-on-four three-minute overtime segment which saw both teams trade chances but none finding the back of net next up was a three-on-three three-minute stanza where the Bears snuck it in with four second left to clinch the OT and a berth in the final.

The Storm had an energetic tourney against their division rivals and had outstanding performances over the weekend by Mark Saville and Greg Crofts who do not often find the spotlight shining on them. The season is finalized this Friday in Huntsville and then “wayward ho” to play-offs against Parry Sound.
Submitted by Dave and Katie Howe

The Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team Walkers Heating and Cooling Highland Storm Peewee AE’s faced off against the Huntsville Otters this past weekend eagerly looking forward to a rematch following their 4-3 loss the week before. Huntsville took advantage early and got the game's first goal six minutes in. The Storm were effective killing off a penalty shortly after and took the momentum one step further as Sam Hoenow tied the game one handing his own rebound past the Otter goaltender.

Huntsville would retake the lead with a little tap-in that just squeaked past Storm net minder Nathan Miscio. Some fine defensive play by Mathias Lee kept the Otters from adding to their lead and some open ice rushes from Ben Robinson almost tied it up for the Storm. In the second period Brendan Coumbs converted a perfect pass from Kolby McGovern for the Storm’s tying goal. The teams would remain deadlocked at two with wonderful end to end minor league hockey action until Sam Hoenow found himself one on one against the Otter goaltender. His bar down wrist shot in close with give our locals the 3-2 lead heading into the final frame.

The Storm took advantage of a late second period Otter penalty when Tyler Martin gave the Storm a two goal cushion early in the third period with a powerful end to end man advantage goal rush. Huntsville would respond with a powerplay goal of their own to cut the Storm lead in half and then knot the game at four only 30 seconds later. The Storm had one last chance for the win with a minute to go when Hoenow once again found himself one on one with the feisty Otter goal keeper Parker Soberg-Dann only to see the puck roll off his stick and go wide.
The game ended in a very entertaining 4-4 tie with the local fans anticipating a highly possible opening round against the Otters in the first round of the playoffs.
Submitted by Gord Hoenow

The MPS tournament began this past weekend. The Highland Storm Bantam A team started against the Huntsville Otters Saturday afternoon in Port Carling and lost 4-2. It’s always been a tough go against the Otters and this game was no different.

The Storm had a bit of a slow start allowing the Otters the first goal. The Storm started to pick up some momentum later in the first period. Lucas Haedicke controlled the puck behind the Otters net made the quick pass to Nigel Smith who found the opening for the Storm’s tying goal. The Otters answered back with another taking the lead once more in the second period. Both teams continued to battle. Seconds into the third period while on a power play Austin French took a point shot for a top corner goal. Passes came from Owen Gilbert and Nik Dollo. Now tied 2-2 with lots of time on the clock. Mid way through the third the Otters scored again. The Storm continued to word hard. With less than two minutes in the game it was time to pull the goalie and get the extra man but it wasn’t enough. It ended with a 4-2 loss for the Storm. Great effort boys!

The second game of the MPS tournament for the Highland Storm Bantam A team was against the South Muskoka Bears. That ended in a 2-1 loss and the end of the tournament for the Storm. The first period was hard hitting with end-to-end action and scoreless. Midway through the second period the Storm pushed hard to the net and got the first goal by Nik Dollo. The Storm started the third period strong and winning 1-0 but that’s when things changed. The penalties began and didn’t stop. The exciting fun game of hockey was lost and so was the game.
Submitted by Suzanne Haedicke

The Bancroft I.D.A/Canadian Tire Midget B Girls Jets travelled to Orillia this weekend to play in the Orillia Hawks Tourney. They played Kapuskasing Jaguars Friday night in their first of three games in their pool. The Jets skated well and Katie Hoover stopped all shots in a scoreless first period. Midway through the second the Jaguars broke the tie on the power play with a wrister that found its way into the net through a maze of players. The Jets battled back and tied the game at 1-1 late in the second.

Danielle Sunstrum slipped in a rebound from Ashley Challinor’s point shot. Penalty trouble put the squads into a four-on-four test which Kapuskasing capitalized on with just seconds left in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. The Jets continued their attack but could solve the Jaguar net-minder in the third period. Late in the third period Kapuskasing put another marker on the board with a bouncing puck that seemed to have eyes as it found its way to a waiting Jaguar who poked the puck into the net for a final score of 3-1.

On Saturday morning the Jets took to the ice for their second game of their pool play. Needing a win the Jets faced off against the Sarnia Lady Sting in a battle for second place in their pool and a spot in Sunday’s Midget B Semi-Final. The Jets put together two strong periods of scoreless hockey and midway through the third period capitalized on their pressure to force a turnover behind the Sarnia net. With a play to get the puck to the net Kenndal Marsden put home a goal-mouth scramble to give the Jets a 1-0. The Sting accepted the challenge and on the very next shift created a Jets’ turnover behind the net and tied the game with a wrap-around tally. Sarnia used the goal to ramp up their pressure and took a 2-1 lead with just over two minutes left in the game on a bouncing puck that deflected up and over the net finding its way across the goal line. The Jets tried to find the
2-2 equalizer but Sarnia put away an empty-netter with just seconds left in the game to eliminate any chances of games on Sunday with the 3-1 loss.

On Saturday night the Jets played their last of the three games in their pool play against the St. Catharines Brock Jr Badgers. Looking to build on their team play the Jets took to the ice in their final game of the tourney. Both teams battled to find the twine but could not solve their opposing net-minder. After two scoreless periods the Badgers scored the only goal of the game early in the third period after a point shot was deflected and bounced off some skates away from the net to a waiting Badger who capitalized on a wide open net. Another tough loss ladies. The weekend will be used to refocus for the regular season wrap-up and a push into the play-offs.
Submitted by Dan Marsden