The Walkerton Capitals would play in its first
tournament of the year by participating in the Hespeler Classic. Teams from across Ontario would descend in
the Cambridge area to compete in the two day event.
The Capitals would play two games on Friday, December 1st, the first would be against the Tilsonburg Tornados. Tilsonburg would open up the scoring while on the power play just over 4 minutes into the period. Walkerton would tie the game with 39.3 seconds remaining when Colby Schmidt slid the puck into the back of the net, assisted were credited to Cobi Johnson and Kyle Romphf. The period would end with the teams knotted at 1.
The second period and the Capitals would come out firing. Three and a half minutes into the period Cayleb Peitz would score unassisted after his wrist shot hit the inside of the post before coming rest behind the Tornados goalie. Tilsonburg would score with just under 5 minutes remaining to once again tie the score. Walkerton would respond just over a minute later when Jack Walter would find the back of the net after taking a pass from Carson Filsinger and Cody Brown. The ensuing faceoff would have the Capitals score 11 seconds later when Cayleb Peitz would score his second of the game assisted by Jack Walter and Scott McTeer. Walkerton would lead 4-2 after two periods of play.
The third period would see the Tornados score with 4:45 remaining to narrow the Walkerton lead to a single goal. The Capitals would bear down and come away with a victory as Tilsonburg would pull out all of the stops in the final moments. The Capitals would win its first game 4-3 but there would be plenty of hockey to play over the next few days.
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The second game of the day would see Walkerton play Whitby in what would be another low scoring closely contested game. After no scoring in the first period Whitby would score on the power play to open things in the second period and after two periods of play would lead 1-0.
The Capitals would tie the game 1:39 seconds into the game when Cobi Johnson found the top corner after firing a wrist shot from the slot, assists were awarded to Colby Schmidt and Kyle Romphf. The teams would battle back and forth and Walkerton would score just before the half way point after Tyler Wallace found the back of the net after taking a pass from Connor Farrell. Walkerton would hold on and win 2-1. By winning the opening two games Walkerton would be seated #3 based on goal differential and would play in an elimination game the next morning.
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The elimination game would see Walkerton once again play Whitby. Walkerton would open the scoring with 4:39 left in the first period when Colby Schmidt jumped on a loss puck deep in the Whitby zone and slid the puck into the open corner of the net unassisted. The Capitals would add to their lead when with 1:08 remaining Kyle Romphf took a pass from Keegan Batte and found the top corner of the net. Walkerton would lead 2-0 after the first. The Capitals would then come out quickly in the second period when just 18 seconds into the frame Kyle would score his second of the game after some fine passing from Colby Schmidt and Keegan Batte. Tyler Wallace would then increase the Walkerton lead after scoring on a break away unassisted. Kyle Romphf would complete his hat trick with 16 seconds remaining assisted by Colby Schmidt. The Capitals would then skate right back down the ice and score with .04 seconds remaining when Ryan Graul lifted the puck over the glove of the Whitby net-minder, assists were awarded to Tyler Wallace and Matthew McNaughton. The Capitals would lead 6-0 after two periods of play.
The third period would see both teams having good scoring opportunities. The Capitals would score with 5:24 remaining when Cobi Johnson would go five hole in the Whitby goalie after taking a great pass from Kyle Romphf. Whitby would score with 1:31 remaining in the period to break the shut out but Walkerton would skate away with a convincing 7-1 win.
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Sunday morning (Day 3) would see Walkerton play the Belle River Beast in the quarter finals. After no scoring in the first period Belle River would open things up early in the second when just 21 seconds into the period fired a puck past the Walkerton goal keeper. Walkerton would respond by scoring 51 seconds into the period after Tyler Wallace took a stretch pass from Keegan Batte and made a great deke in close to slid the puck into the open corner. The two sides would continue to go back and forth and Walkerton would take the lead when Tyler Wallace scored after taking a pass from the point from Xander Thornton with 5:24 remaining. Tyler would then complete his hat trick just 25 seconds later when his wrist shot found the top corner, assisting on the play were Ryan Graul and Connor Farrell. Walkerton would lead 2-1 after two periods of play.
The third period would see plenty of end to end action. Both teams would run into some penalty issues but the action would continue at a furious pace. With just under 2 minutes remaining Cobi Johnson would take a cross ice pass from Kyle Romphf before his hard shot found the back of the net. Belle River would score late in the game with 1:07 remaining to cut the Walkerton lead in half but Walkerton would hold on and take the game by a score of 4-2.
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It was off to the semi-final game against the high scoring Nepean Vortex. The Capitals would open the scoring in the opening minute when Cobi Johnson found a loose puck at the side of the net and slid it under the Nepean goalie, assisting on the play was Kyle Romphf. The teams would battle back and forth throughout with each goalie making several excellent saves. Walkerton would lead 1-0 after the first 10 minutes.
The Vortex would score just before the 2 minute point to tie up the game and then with just four minutes remaining in the period Nepean would score after a fantastic passing play to take a 2-1 lead after two periods of play.
The third period would have the Capitals come out and give it all they had. They continued to pressure the Nepean net but were unable to get the puck over the goal line. Nepean would then score with 3:27 left in the period to take the game 3-1.
The Capitals would play hard throughout but would fall in the semi-final game to the eventual tournament champions 3-1. The boys disappointed by the results still held their heads high. They played excellent hockey throughout the 3 day tournament. The conducted themselves with class, respect towards the officials, other players and themselves. A solid outing against teams from across the province. The boys proved that they can play with the best of them.