This weekend the Atom Hyundai Sailors sailed into Paisley to
take part in the Dave Taylor memorial hockey tournament. The Sailors would face
teams they had never seen before and no one knew what to expect!
Game 1
The Sailors would start the tournament facing the Arran-Elderslie Ice Dogs. With a jump in their step the Sailors were off to the races from the opening face off. Moving the puck around and peppering the Ice Dogs goalie with shot after shot, the sailors left the ice with a convincing 6-0 win!
Game 2
The kids were back at it on Saturday at noon, this time facing a determined team from Dorchester. The Dragons scored 2 goals to go up quick and had the Sailors back on their heels. The score would remain until mid way through the second when the Sailors decided enough was enough. It was time to play hockey! The fore-check was relentless, and backed by a hardened defence and goalie that built a wall, then stood in front for good measure. The Sailors tied the game up heading into the third. The kids weren’t done and showed everyone in the stands including themselves they had another gear. With the pedal down, the Sailors left it all on the ice and popped another 2 goals in the third to knock the Dorchester Dragons out of the tourney.
Championship Game
Sunday afternoon at 1pm was the day this journey would end for our well traveled Sailors! No one knew if the kids had anything left in the tank after two hard fought games. But the Sailors had something to prove. A quick goal by the Rebels within the first 2 minutes of the game had the Sailors wondering what they were in store for. But it seemed as with Saturday’s game, when the going gets tough the Sailors get tougher. Two goals within a three minute span had the Rebels in disbelief, as the Sailors stormed back into the game. A third goal came a short time later, and the Sailors then battened down the hatches on the mighty ship that is the Hyundai team! The fore-check was relentless, and had the mighty Rebels wondering which way to turn. When the puck was cleared and the Rebels thought they had some momentum the defence stepped up and turned them away. Not to mention the Rebels frustration of hammering shots at an impenetrable goalie. When the buzzer rang at the end of the third, and the fog cleared from the frozen surface the mighty Sailors stood as champions. Parents and coaches couldn’t have been more proud of this great group of kids. Their display of heart, willpower and great sportsmanship is truly something we should all be proud of!