The Laker
Atom Reps didn’t take long to rebound after a disappointing 3-2 loss in league
play Friday
night to the
Arran Elderslie Ice Dogs.
The boys went right back to work at the Junior Attack Holiday Break Tournament in Owen Sound on Saturday. Their first game saw them take on the home town Owen Sound Junior Attack and it was obvious from the drop of the puck that the Lakers meant business.
The boys put their foot on the gas and never let up enroute to a 7-1 win which sent them to the winners round in the tournament. Their next opponent was the familiar Bruce Peninsula Northstars. The Lakers had defeated the Northstars in 3 regular season games earlier this season, but the Northstars weren’t about to give the Lakers a free pass to finals. The game was a back and forth battle and was scoreless until Jesse Bridge put the Lakers up 1-0 in the 3rd period. Carter Legge would then seal the win with an empty net marker with 18 seconds left. Laker goalie Ryan Hickey turned aside 12 shots for the shutout. The win sent the Lakers to the final against the Wasaga Stars Atom Rep team. The first period saw scoring chances from both teams but Wasaga would go up 1-0 with 3 minutes left in the first. The score would remain 1-0 until Laker Forward Hayden Sprung found the back of the net with 3 minutes left in the 2nd to tie the game at 1. The play would be back and forth until Hayden Sprung found the net again in the 3rd to put the Lakers up 2-1 . This gave the Lakers the momentum they needed and they would go up 3-1 when Ben Gladwell pounced on a loose puck and banged it home to put the Lakers up 3-1.
The Wasaga Stars pulled their goalie in the final minutes of the game, and Reid Thompson closed the door for good with an empty net goal to seal the win and the Championship for the Lakers. The Laker coaches were very proud of how the boys played hard and worked as a team the entire tournament as every player played hard and contributed to the win. The Lakers round out their regular season Sunday night in Shallow Lake and then are off to Niagara Falls for the Fort Erie Winter Classic for a great tournament and some team fun and then it’s “ Playoff Time” and the Lakers are hoping for a long run.