SPORTSHOUND: Pack the Barn

Tales from the Timebox for December 13, 2022

 

I wish I had five dollars for every car and pickup truck parked at the A.G. Ross arena on Saturday. I could be a rich man or even a good fundraiser for the new ice plant.

The parking lot was jam-packed with vehicles and up and down the street on Saturday when the Avalanche U9s hosted an eight-team tournament. Because they play half ice, there are four teams on the ice at one time and four other teams in the dressing room or lobby trying to get to the concession. That’s over one hundred players, add a couple of parents each, grandparents, and a few siblings, and, well, let’s say it was packed to the rafters. Another fantastic job by our parents of the U 9 team this time, for working their butts off all day in the concession, time clock, and raffle table filling up the cash register.

 

U9 Avalanche

Each team played three one-hour games. Our Avalanche team split the goaltending duties for the three games between Benjamin’ Benny Boy’ Saddleback, Tytus ‘Titan’ Gadwa, and Landon ‘Lights out’ St. Arnault. All of them were very busy and doing a stand-up job. The heart and hustle award in the first game goes to Jase ‘the Jackal’ Malo. The Jackal has a special “swooping celly “he does each time he scores. Cohen ‘Big Horn’ Brousseau did a nice toe drag, then a perfect bar down shot scoring, getting the award in the second game. And Aspyn’ Machine Gun ‘ Kelly with a big wrap around and then slid the puck under the pads in the side of the net with the award in the third game. Each of the three scored several other pretty goals over the three games and assisted on a whole bunch, including one on Elisabeth Page, who scored her first goal of her young hockey career. And, of course, her parents saved the puck. Charlie ‘ Chickadee’ Davis and Christian ‘ Bones 2.0 ‘ with at least a couple of goals each. ‘ Jumbo Jay’ Large with a few goals and some terrific shot blocking on defense. Thomas ‘ the Tank’ Morris going coast to coast, plowing a path down the wing right to the net, just about buried one. The Tank will be impossible to stop in a few years! Teraleigh Nepoose-Gadwa and Dax ‘My Boy’ Bowman are both on the doorstep knocking. Sooner or later, they are bound to score their first goal too. Then look out!

Our U11 team took the weekend off to give everyone a break. Plus, many parents on the U11 team are the same ones on the U9 team. So, no break for them!

 

U11 Avalanche

And no break for our U 13 team, who played three games this past weekend, losing the first Friday night in Lloydminster 4 to 1 to the all-female U13 team. Then on Saturday, drop one down in Provost from 11 to 5. But bouncing back on Sunday at home, winning 7 to 4 over another Lloydminster team. Four goals for ‘Wild Wyatt’ Fontaine, plus an assist. Liam ‘Sledgehammer’ Swedgan with two goals and two assists. William ‘Billy Bob’ Ballas with a goal and an assist. Steady D Man Jaxon ‘Smitty’ Smith is on the score sheet setting up or getting the secondary assist on six out of the seven goals. ‘Major Tom’ Melnyk and Ryder ‘Rhino’ Malo, each with a helper.

 

U15 Avalanche

The U15 had a real goaltending duel on Sunday afternoon against the Vermilion Tiger here at home. T, the Avalanche tender Thesson McRorie wins the battle in the end. The final score was 1 to 0 for the Avalanche. Freewheeling Braylee ‘ Free Willy’ Lesyk finally scored on the power play with three minutes left in the third period, assisted by Quinton ‘Rampage’ Dumont-Quinney. Madden ‘Mad Dog’ Flamand is back in the line after missing the first part of the season with a broken wrist. No doubt he will be welcomed back!

 

U18 Avalanche

The Avalanche U18 team also played an exciting end to end game against St. Paul right after the U 15 game. Goalie Vanden ‘Super Mario’ Moroziuk was outstanding; standing on his head getting peppered with the puck, he stood his ground and shut the door on the Canadiens. The Avalanche came out on top 3 to 2 in the end. Kaleb ‘Formula One’ Flamand was firing on all twelve cylinders, scoring two unassisted goals. And then Formula One assisted on the winner that the veteran blueliner ‘St. Nick’ Penner scored.