Squirt Minors Tourney Report
The Clipper Squirt Minors competed in the annual Clipper Thanksgiving Classic Tournament at Champions this past weekend. They played a total of five games against the Central Capitals, New York Apple Core, Wonderland Wizards and the Northern Mass Cyclones. Competition was fierce and the Clippers were up to the challenge making it to the championship game where they faced off against Apple Core.The tournament started off early on Friday morning (7:10 a.m.) with the Clippers squaring off against a local opponent, the Central Capitals from Newington. The Clippers got on the board early and dominated the Capitals for most of the game. Nick Adamsons got the scoring started in the first period off a feed from Will Lindlauf off a pass from Christian DiDonato. Adam Shea scored the next two goals in the second period. Assists for those goals went to Taggart Corriveau (2), Kevin Landau and Matt Trevethan. Corriveau added a goal of his own in the second assisted by Evan Sliker and Adamsons. After the Capitals scored back to back goals in the third, Corriveau lit the lamp for his second of the game off a pass from Landau. The final score: 5-2 Clippers. Friday’s second game was the third contest this season between the Clippers and New York Apple Core. It was Apple Cores first game of the day. The two teams historically matched up closely (1-0-1 in favor of the Clippers) and this game was no exception. The first period and a half were scoreless. The Clipper defense effectively shut down the Apple Core offense and allowed very few scoring opportunities. Despite the Clippers’ excellent defensive play and back checking, Apple Core was first to get on the board, half way through the second period. Apple Core extended the lead with another goal mid-way through the third period. The Clippers finally got a puck past the Apple Core goalie with two minutes left in the third on a power play goal by Evan Sliker (Assist to Taggart Corriveau). The Clippers pulled goalie Al Rogers with just over a minute left, but were unable to score again. The game ended in a 2-1 Clipper loss.
Saturday started off with a rough, physical game against Bridgeport’s Wonderland Wizards (a spoiler for the Clippers in last year’s Thanksgiving Classic). The Wizards took a 1-0 lead half way through the first period. The score remained 1-0 until mid way through the second period when Nick Adamsons was ridden down from behind by a Wizard defender on a clear breakaway. The officials called for a penalty shot and Taggart Corriveau was chosen to take it. Corriveau skated in on the goalie, deaked, and backhanded the puck into the net. The goal tied the game and at the same time, energized the Clippers and deflated and distracted the Wizards. The tie was broken with three minutes left in the third period when Adam Shea beat the Wizard goalie, stick side. Shea’s shot came off passes from Corriveau and Nick Adamsons. The Clippers won 2-1. The officials called sixteen penalties against the two teams during the course of play.
Saturday’s second game was against NEEHL rival, the Northern Mass Cyclones. The teams had met twice before and were 1-1. Taggart Corriveau started the scoring a minute into the game off a pass from Nick Adamsons. The Cyclones scored at the end of the period and the first period ended with the two teams tied at one. Corriveau beat the Cyclone goalie again in the second period off a feed from Christian DiDonato. Nick Waznia followed with the insurance goal less than a minute later off a pass from Taylor Thomas and the Clippers took a 3-1 lead. Three minutes later Nick Adamsons powered his way through the Cyclone defense and scored the Clippers’ final goal, unassisted. The Cyclones did manage one more goal at the end of the game. The Clippers won, 4-2. The championship game on Sunday was a re-match with the undefeated Apple Core team. The play was intense and physical and the Clippers dominated, offensively and defensively, the first period and a half. Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities and over a dozen quality shots, the outstanding play of the Apple Core goalie kept the Clippers off the board. Apple Core scored once in the second, and once in the third to take a 2-0 lead. The Clippers finally put one in the Apple Core net with just over eight minutes left in the game (Adam Shea off passes from Sliker and Corriveau). Neither team was able to muster another goal and the championship game ended in another 2-1 loss for the Clippers.
The boys played great hockey the entire, long weekend. The defense (Evan Sliker, Matt Trevethan, Mario Marena, Kevin Landau, Adam Aresco) played tough and aggressive hockey keeping the Clipper’s “goals against” one of the lowest in the tournament. Goalie Al Rogers saw 82 shots and stopped 73 of them. It was a great effort all around.
Article written by Ron Lindlauf.
