Apr 14, 2009 | rgrubb | 920 views
Hamilton Hawks Tourney
In one of their last stops of the 2008-09 hockey season, the Walkerton Capitals (Kinettes) midget B girls' team pulled into Hamilton April 3 to 5 to partake in the Hamilton Hawks annual tournament in the midget B division. Having varying success in the past years, the team was keen to make a lasting impression on what will be the last year for most of the team's players.
Kicking it off Friday morning the girls piled into the Inch Arena to face the Sainte-Therese Drakkars (Quebec) in an interprovincial match-up. The Ontario reps got to work quickly to show the visitors how things are done and Claire Ashton started the scoring off at 8:09 in the first period with an unassisted goal. Four minutes later, Maria Kuntz was able to make good with some quick passes from Katrina Grubb and Lauren Bell for goal number two.
Not concerned with French-English relations, Walkerton racked up a couple more markers onto the scoreboard in the second period to take the game to 4-0. Scoring were Lauren Smith, assist to Chantale Bourque, and Grubb, assisted by Kuntz and Rachael Diebold. Laying off in the third the scoreboard remained silent and the Capitals would take the game 4-0.
The following day Walkerton made a beeline for the Hamilton Quad 4 pads to go head-to-head with North Simcoe Capitals. Perhaps a little too well rested from the previous game, or maybe taking umbrage at the use of their name, Walkerton Capitals exploded onto the scoreboard and allowed goalie Alanna ?AJ? Anstett very little action at her end of the ice. Scoring five big ones in the first period, Walkerton was on fire. First up on the scoresheet was Richelle Busby who received a quick-pass from Colleen Parks and sent the puck home for goal number one. From 1:59 to .26 seconds on the clock Walkerton was firing on all cylinders and sent home a total four goals to the back of the North Simcoe net. By the time the smoke had cleared in the one and a half minute timespan, North Simcoe was in serious trouble.
Scorers in the first period barrage were Becky Busby at 1:59, assisted by Parks and R. Busby; Kascha Fischer, 1:34, unassisted; Bell, 1:24, assist to Carolyn Hodgson; and at :26, Chantale Bourque, assisted by Jasmine Richardson.
The second period the Capitals took their collective feet off the gas but still tapped in a further two goals. Scoring at 3:59 was Hodgson who was assisted on this play by Janna Reading. Bourque drove hard to the net and was able to cash in a sweet set-up from Diebold and Hodgson. Walkerton?s final goal happened in the third at 9:36 as R. Busby sent up a pass to Kascha Fischer who bent the North Simcoe twine. However, not giving up, North Simcoe continued to work hard and were rewarded with a goal at 2:20. Final score of the game was 8-1.
In their final game of pool play, Walkerton met up with Norfolk HERicanes April 5 and, with finals firmly in their sights, the red and blue set about finishing things off. A fast game of 36 minutes with a mere six minutes total of penalty time, the Capitals set to work early. At 5:33 in the first, Diebold scored unassisted to give Walkerton a 1-0 lead. Bell lit the scoreboard, unassisted, at 3:04 in the second period and Parks scored the final Walkerton goal at 10:08 in the third? you got it: unassisted. However, HERicanes kept stirring things up right until the very end and a late comeback goal at 4:05 in the third would soothe, but prove too little too late. Assured of advancement into the gold medal game as the winners of the pool, Walkerton awaited the outcome of other games to see who their opponents would be. Lo and behold the girls would end the tournament playing the same team they had started it with two days previous: Saint-Therese Drakkers.
A different team showed up to play this day for Sainte-Therese, however, and Walkerton quickly realized they would have to dig deeper than they had before. Bell figured out the quick goalie?s weak spot first -- at 11:00 in the first and unassisted -- as she got the Capitals on the scoreboard. Getting the hang of things, Bell would tap in the second goal also, at 3:07, with assistance from Grubb and Reading. The final goal of the period was recorded by Bourque and assistants Ashton and Smith.
Sainte-Therese kept up the fight but were unable to break into Anstett's "blue clubhouse" the entire game. Not done yet, Walkerton did little for French-English relations but did manage another goal -- R. Busby scored unassisted at 5:35 in the third -- before the final buzzer. The 4-0 win for Walkerton would give them the gold and bragging rights to the tournament for another year.
The Walkerton Capitals (Kinettes) are quickly running out of games in their 2008-09 season and the next time they take to the ice will be in the all-important OWHA Provincial Grand Championships playoff tournament. This is what teams strive for all season and, if you can make it all happen there, well, those cold, late-night practices, early morning drives, aerobic workouts, burning muscles, lack of breath, etc. all seem a very, very small price to pay.