As One Chapter Ends A New One Begins, News, ATOM MAJOR AA SOO JR.GREYHOUNDS, U11, 2017-2018 (Sault Major Hockey)

With year two of the program officially over, let’s look back on the season that was for the Jr Hounds and it all started at training camp. The focus on skill development from year one of the program was evident on the ice, their skating, stick handling, passing and shooting had made giant strides from the previous year but there was still more work to be done. The concentration on these elements would still be the number one priority for the coaches every practice. Not only did the coaches focus developing the boys on the ice, they also focused on making the players better people. The team raised a lot of money and food for the Soup Kitchen and learned the importance of giving back because not everyone has the opportunity as them to do what they love to do.

When the exhibition games began, the Jr hounds strengths were realized. In the first 5 games they would outscored their opponents 36 goals for and 4 goals against, their speed and pressure was just too much for these teams to handle.

When it comes to tournaments, the coaches believe they are used as a measuring stick to see where the team stands with the best of the best, therefore the 2007 Jr Hounds only entered the top AA tournaments in Ontario. When our tournament season began in Kitchener this year, the team had confidence in their ability to perform well. In game one, they showed their dominance on the ice controlling the play and puck for the majority of the game but were unable to score and began the tournament with a 1-0 loss. Dominating the rest of the round robin games they got snake bitten again and lost in the quarter finals after out playing their opponents again.

Two weeks later, the boys were at the London Knights Tournament where 8 of the top 10 teams in Ontario attended. At this time, the Jr Hounds were ranked 2^nd in Ontario and was looking for a good showing. They had an up and down weekend going 2-2 in the round robin play and had the most exciting final minute of play in the quarter finals. North York would tie the game with 30 seconds remaining before the red and white would go end to end on a 2 on 1 and hit the back door pass to win the game with .7 seconds remaining in the game. That would lead to the semifinals against the #1 rank Peterborough Petes. The boys would come out strong for the first period but penalties would lead to a goal late in the first that deflated the team, eventually losing that game.

It was at this point where the coaches realized that the amount of skill that the Jr Hounds had develop was at the level where the coaches could start teaching a system and transform the team from 17 individual players into 1 unit. It all started in the parking lot of the hotel in London in between games with a football. Every practice from this point transitioned them into something special to watch. Even though each practice still had the skill development aspects to it, their system was now incorporated. The hockey IQ of the players began to increase and the boys were seeing the game from a different perspective.

The quest for the Silver Stick was in December and there was a high hope for the team. They were the defending Regional Champions from the 2016-2107 season. The team had only been working on their new style of play of 3 weeks before this tournament but right from the start they were turning heads. They would go undefeated entering the Finals where they would meet up against the Timmins North Star. It was a good back and forth game and the hounds would tie the game in the third period to bring it into OT. The Hounds dominated the over time period but a pick off from a D to D pass lead to a breakaway for Timmins. Our D raced back and lifted the stick of the Timmins player not allowing him to get a shot off, but the puck had momentum and found its way through a hole and went into the net. Even though the loss cancelled their ticket to the International Silver Sticks Tournament in the AA division, their dominance was noticed and the Phi Dental Care Jr Hounds were invited to play in the AAA division in the Silver Sticks tournament.

The Jr Hounds would start the New Year playing in their first AAA Tournament. The Phi Dental Care Soo Jr Greyhounds defied the odds and made it to Semi Final Sunday with a 3-1-0 record in the round robin and had the most goals for in the AAA division. They would face the home town 22^nd ranked AAA team in Ontario, the Lambton Jr Sting. This would be the biggest team the hounds would face this tournament but that would not change the way they played. It was a hard fought battle and the games 4 goals would be all score in the first half of the first period before the Jr hounds could find their legs. It was a great effort but the Jr hounds could not find the net for the rest of the game to even up the score and would end the tournament with a 3-1 loss in the Semi Final of the Silver Stick International AAA tournament. The boys learned a lot that weekend about themselves and the team. The coaches are extremely proud of the effort and heart the boys played with and at this point realized that they are ready to make the jump to AAA.

The boys now had the confidence in themselves and each other. Their team play had come such a long way in a short period. In between their tournaments, the 2007 Jr Hounds played in the Nickel District Minor Hockey League. They would end the regular season in first place with a 19-0-1 record, only tying the 2006 Pee Wee Minor AA team as their only blemish. The team would net 118 goals while only succumbing to 29 goals against, with a total 50 minutes spent in the penalty box in the 20 games they played.

With their new system now defined, the Phi Dental Care Soo Jr Greyhounds were ready and waiting for the biggest tournament of the season, the NOHA Tournament of Champions in Timmins. The boys were up to the challenge and showed everyone why they were ranked 3^rd in Ontario. They begin the tournament with a 3-0 record and outscored their opponents 13-0 creating a rematch with the Timmins North Stars in the semi finals. When the puck dropped to start the game, the boys in red were ready and controlled the puck and the play for the entire first period. The North Stars did not have 1 shot on net in the first period. In the second period, the hounds struck first and continued to control the play, only allowing 3 shots on net but the hounds failed to connect to add to their lead with their scoring chances. In the third period, things didn’t change until half way through the period. The “Hockey Gods” decided to show up and continue their curse on the hounds. With only 6 mins remaining, a D to D pass was intercepted and Timmins went on a 2 on 2 rush that lead to a one timer shot going off the side of the net but instead of the puck going into the corner, it went back on the stick of the trailer and with a shot from the short side impossible angle, the puck went over the shoulder and in the net. Only 30 seconds later, a scramble in the Timmins end turned into a break for Timmins that lead to a shot on net from the inside of the circle, going off the knob of the goal stick dropping behind him and slowly crossing the line. That was the last time Timmins would enter the Soo’s zone but it was enough to eliminate the Jr Hounds from the Tournament. Even though the Phi Dental Care Soo Jr Greyhounds dominated 98% of the game and out shooting the North Stars 27-8, the NOHA championship was not in their cards and crushed their hope of advancing to the OHF Championship in North Bay.

Hockey is a game and in games anything can happen. Wins and loses do not define the effort and ability of 10 year old boys. This team has come a very long way since the beginning of the year and they should be proud of that. The boys held their heads high and showed great sportsmanship in tough times. Games come and go, you win some and you lose some. The losses were not from the lack of effort or skill and after they realize that, they will see there will be more games to come and other opportunities to etch their mark.

The coaching staff of the 2007 Atom Major AA Phi Dental Care Soo Jr Greyhounds would like to thank everyone for your support to this program, especially all the sponsors, parents, committee members, and families that made the trips or watched from home to cheer on the Red and White. They hope you have enjoyed watching these young men grow throughout this year into better players on and off the ice. These young men are learning not only the game of hockey but the game of life as well. The hard work, dedication, handling the highs and lows, team work, time management, a healthy lifestyle and more are things that this great game is teaching these young men.

Remember that games come and go but the friendships and memories you make will last a life time.

Good Luck to everyone in this year’s tryouts. Enjoy your summer and hope to see you all next year around the rink!