The South Stormont Selects Atom B team took to the road for their first tournament of the season November 29-December 1st. Brockville hosts an Atom tournament yearly and the undefeated Selects were looking to cut their teeth with some new competition.
Friday night saw the Selects lose a tough game to Kemptville. Although they rallied, the Selects could not find their momentum and headed home with a 3-2 loss. Player of the game was Matt Doyon, recognized for his relentless pursuit of the puck and hard work to keep the team in the game.
Saturday was a much more successful day, with the Selects winning their next two games against Spencerville and league rivals, the Char-lan Rebels. Both games saw the Long Sault team dominate game play. Players of the game were awarded Keaton Racine and Devon Villeneuve. The points system did not seem to favour the Selects and elimination seemed inevitable. Through a little luck, and some help from a Char-lan win, the Selects slipped through to the playoff rounds by half a point.
In the first playoff game, switching from points mode to win/loss, the boys dispatched of the first place Prescott. The team, demonstrating superior passing and puck control, skated their way to the finals against the host Brockville team. Kason Martel got player of the game nod for his outstanding work.
‘A’ finals saw some of the best hockey of the weekend being played between two evenly matched teams. Brockville took an early lead only to see the Selects claw their way back. The game, tied up in the third period, took an unexpected turn when Chase Duchesne dumped in the winning goal with 1.6 seconds left on the clock. That goal landed the young Duchesne with player of the game for the Selects.
All players were proud of their accomplishments and were excited by their first tournament win. Head coach James Racine has hopes that the win streak will continue as the team prepares to take on the Bell Capital Cup over the Christmas Break.