Submitted by Rob Duncan. The Saugeen Maitland Midget AA Lightning travelled to Sudbury this pas tweekend to participate in the Annual Snowflake Challenge tournament. This year, the Midget AA division was by invitation only, with six of the top-ranked teams in Ontario competing in a round-robin format. After an eventful bus ride up Highway 69, the Lightning faced the host Sudbury Wolves. There were no signs of bus-legs as the girls took it to the Wolve sfrom the opening face-off, winning 2-1. Goals were scored by Tori Terpstra and Ashlee Lawrence, with assists going to Kelly Gribbons, Kailyn Soers and Jordyn Sholdice.
Saturday morning, the Bolts faced the #2 ranked Midget girls team in
Canada,
the Stoney Creek Sabres, falling 6-3. The score belied the game play
as the
Lightning carried the play to the Sabres for long periods while Stoney
Creek
took advantage of their scoring chances and some lucky bounces. Lexi
Smith,
Cassidy Colhoun and Terpstra all scored for the Lightning with helpers
from
Courtney Surridge (2), Harley Westman, Sarah Biesenthal, Gribbons
and
Terpstra. The Lightning then took on the North Bay Ice-Bolts, downing
them
3-0. Smith, Lawrence and Terpstra found the back of the net with
assists
from Miranda Lantz, Dawn Pletsch, Jamie Simpson, Gribbons and
Surridge.
Shea Tiley stopped all North Bay attempts to earn the shut-out and
take
player of the game honours for the Bolts. The third game on Saturday
and
fourth inside of 24 hours for the Lightning was a real test to
their
endurance against the top-ranked team from the Ottawa area, the
Nepean
Wildcats. However, the Bolts dominated at both ends of the ice,
downing
Nepean 3-1. Scoring for the Bolts were Terpstra, Colhoun and
Gribbons with
a short-handed effort. Assists were earned by Maddie Duncan,
Westman, Smith
and Surridge. Morgan Baker was solid in net, only allowing
one goal and
earning player of the game for the Lightning.
Sunday morning the Lightning dug deep
with more than a couple of
players nursing strains, bumps and bruises that typically come with
tournament play.
Although dropping the game 3-2 to the Whitby Wolves, the
Bolts were in it
the entire game and gave notice that Saugeen Maitland will
be a team to be
reckoned with come the Provincial Championships. The
Lightning goals were
scored by Gribbons and Terpstra with assists earned by
Soers and Westman.
The Lightning will face the Bluewater Hawks in the next
round of the Lower
Lakes play-offs starting next Sunday in Teeswater. For
schedule and results
see the Lightning web-site,
www.saugeenmaitlandlightning.com.