The
Saugeen Maitland Lightning Peewee A team finished off their memorable 2016/17 season
by establishing themselves as a solid contender amongst the top four teams in
the province.
The Peewee A team qualified for and competed in both the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League (LLFHL) Championships and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) Provincial Championships. Although they fell short of achieving their desired outcome in both events, they did compete well and challenge the top teams at each.
Unfortunately for the Lightning they lost one player to injury during the first game of the LLFHL tournament. Playing a man down for the remainder of the weekend they struggled to find their offensive game and just couldn’t find the back of the net. They did however find and hone their defensive game as they kept each of the top teams in the LLFHL to one goal and one goal only per game.
The team had a week to recoup and re-focus as they headed into their final tournament of the season, the OWHA Provincials. Still playing a man down they re-discovered the offensive side of their game and swept the round robin series 3-0. Their perfect record in the round robin series sent them straight through to the quarter final game where they defeated the Kitchener Lady Rangers 5-1. The Lightning faced off against the Waterloo Ravens in the semi-final game on Sunday morning. Once again the hockey gods were unkind as the team lost a second player, this time due to illness. This team showed their resilience as they adjusted mid-game to having to play with now two of their three centers sidelined. They battled hard but came up just short against the impressive Waterloo team, losing 0-2 and being relegated to the Bronze medal game against the Oakville Hornets. The Peewee team gave it their all in the final game of their season. They came out strong and determined, netting a goal early on. The remainder of the game saw plenty of action in both ends but once again the Lightning came up just short losing 1-2 to Oakville.
There is one quote which nicely sums up this team’s experience during those final two tournaments.
“Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” James Lane Allen
Despite the obstacles thrown their way, this team rallied together to give their opposing teams a run for their money. They never gave up and they never stopped skating. They relied on their growth and development from the season to get them through challenging times. They never lost a medal game by more than one goal. Collectively they showed an impressive strength of character.
The SML Peewee team had a quality season. They finished the season with a record of 41-19-8. They medalled in every regular season tournament that they entered, bringing home three gold and one silver medal. They finished and competed amongst the top four teams in both of the year end championship tournaments. The coaching staff, players and parents have much to be proud of. We wish the best to all of the players as they prepare for tryouts. We look forward to seeing you all next week.