March 31, 2015
2073
The competition didn’t get sticky until the finals, but the Kincardine Home Hardware Novice Rep. Kinucks fought to an undefeated record to win the annual Maple Syrup County tournament in Elmvale over the weekend.
Kincardine opened the tournament against the Seaforth Stars Friday morning and skated to a 6-2 win. Jordan McDonald opened the scoring for the Kinucks, unassisted, before sniper Brandon Bishop fired four straight past the Stars’ netminder. Nolan Janes and Joshua Cuyler were awarded assists on Bishop’s third. Defenseman Aiden Renaud added a late marker in the final frame, unassisted, to secure the tournament opener.
The Kinucks kept up a torrid scoring pace as they faced the Bancroft Jets in their second match. After three Kincardine goals in the opening three minutes, it was evident what the outcome would be, as the Kinucks pounded the Jets, 9-0. Janes led the way with four goals and two assists, and Bishop had a goal and two assists. Rounding out the scoring for Kincardine were Trent Houghton, Gavin Beaty, Renaud and Cuyler. Adding assists were Ty McQuillin, Murray Collins, Houghton (2), Jude Hodgins (2), Cuyler, Beaty and Renaud.
In the Kinucks' final round-robin game in Wasaga Beach, Kincardine ousted the Blyth Brussels Crusaders, 6-0. Again, Kincardine jumped out to an early 3-0 lead as the buzzer sounded to end the opening frame. First-period goal-scorers were McDonald from Hodgins and Bishop, along with a pair from Hodgins and McQuillin. After a scoreless second, the Kinucks punched their ticket to the semi-finals with another three tallies. McDonald added his second of the game from Cuyler and Bishop, Renaud scored unassisted, and McQuillin notched his first of the tournament from Hodgins and Collins.
Championship Sunday brought on a whole new battle for the Kinucks squad. Illness kept half of Kincardine’s D-core (Renaud and Collins) from playing the semi-finals against host Elmvale. Although short-staffed, Kincardine rode Bishop’s four-goal performance to yet another 6-0 victory and a berth in the finals. McQuillin and Hodgins added singles. Earning assists were Janes (3), Bishop, Houghton and McQuillin.
The Kinucks met a familiar foe in the finals - the Saugeen Shores Storm. After a scoreless first, Saugeen opened the scoring midway through the second period. Janes answered for the Kinucks shortly thereafter, from Evan Graham, to tie the game at a goal apiece. Before the end of the second, Bishop put the Kinucks up by one from Beaty and Janes. Bishop added his second of the game - what proved to be the game winner - five minutes into the third from Houghton as the Kinucks held on to a 3-2 championship win.
The goaltending tandem of Jack Anderson and Rowen Cherrett was once again flawless in splitting duties between the pipes for Kincardine.
Kincardine’s final tournament victory improved the team’s overall record on the year to 37-12-6 with two tournament championships and a WOAA finalist in a very successful 2014-15 campaign.
The Kincardine Home Hardware Novice Kinucks won the Elmvale Maple Syrup County tournament on the weekend; in the back, are head coach Rob Bishop (L), assistant coach Jeremy Beaty, assistant coach Cory Cuyler and trainer Art Houghton; in the middle row, are Aiden Renaud (L), Murray Collins, Jack Beddington, Trent Houghton, Joshua Cuyler, Brandon Bishop, Evan Graham, and Jude Hodgins; and in front, are Jordan McDonald (L), Jack Anderson, Ty McQuillin, Gavin Beaty, Nolan Janes, and Rowan Cherrett; photo by Jeremy McQuillin
Tough result for Novice Reps. in WOAA finals
It simply wasn’t meant to be.
After earning a berth in the WOAA Twolan Division finals through a three-team home-and-home round-robin with the Mitchell Meteors and Saugeen Shores Storm, the Kinucks found themselves on the losing side of three straight one-goal games in the championship series.
From the outset, this series between Kincardine and Mitchell was going to be a war. The Meteors finished the season a single point behind the Kinucks overall, but had knocked out Kincardine in the Regional Silver Stick Tournament in Kincardine at Christmas time. The rivalry was in full swing even before puck drop in Game 1.
The series opener took place in Kincardine, March 14. The Meteors opened the scoring midway through the first period before the Kinucks’ Evan Graham responded early in the second, unassisted. This time it was Kincardine’s turn to take the lead as Brandon Bishop netted his first from Nolan Janes before the Meteors tied the game near the end of the middle frame.
Bishop sandwiched his hat-trick goals between a Mitchell marker to propel Kincardine to a late one-goal lead in the third. Aiden Renaud and Trent Houghton earned assists on the Bishop tallies. In dramatic fashion, Kincardine took four third-period penalties and paid for it. Mitchell tied the game with three minutes to go and added the game-winner with a little over a minute on the clock, to take the opening game, 5-4. Jack Anderson stood on his head on many occasions to keep the score close throughout.
In Game 2, the anguish of the previous loss was still evident in the Kinucks psyche. The Meteors pumped four goals past Kinucks netminder Anderson before Kincardine could answer. After a timeout, Kincardine responded with four of its own as the momentum pendulum swung heavy in the Kinucks’ direction. Goal-scorers were Bishop (3) and Janes. Janes was awarded the sole assist on the Kincardine game-tying goals.
The teams traded goals early in the third before Mitchell once again pulled off late-game heroics. The Meteors scored the eventual game-winner with a little over two minutes to play to take Game 2, with a 6-5 score, and a 2-0 series lead. A controversial Kincardine goal called off late in the game, combined with another penalty-filled third period added to the Kinucks’ heartbreak. Houghton scored Kincardine’s fifth goal from Bishop.
The hockey gods were once again cruel to the Kinucks as they had their backs against the wall in Game 3. Kincardine battled its way to a late two-goal lead on the backs of Janes (2) and Bishop (2). With less than four minutes remaining, the collapse ensued.
Fresh off a timeout, the Meteors turned the tide and netted three, the last and winning marker coming with 10 seconds remaining in the elimination game.
Rowan Cherrett, back from vacation, played stellar in the loss. Assisting on the Kinucks goals were Houghton, Renaud, Josh Cuyler, Gavin Beaty, and Ty McQuillin.
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