Juvenile hockey makes a comeback
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Somewhere, somehow, Roy Beechey (1920-2003) must be smiling - juvenile hockey made another strong comeback in Tillsonburg.
It was not an easy path back.
Josh Soares, captain of the Tillsonburg Demaiter Real Estate Juvenile Tornadoes, spearheaded its return for the 2012-13 season.
“There wasn’t much help from minor hockey itself,” said Soares. “Even though I showed there was interest, enough players to do it, they wouldn’t give us tryout ice time. I rented the ice six or seven times, out of my own pocket, because they didn’t give us any ice or any help to actually get the team. It was $180 to rent the ice each time.”
Soares set it up like ‘pickup hockey’ asking for $10 per juvenile-age player.
“With guys working and not able to make it all the time, sometimes I was in debt like $40.”
Soares also had to find a coach and he was able to recruit Craig Milton from his first-year midget team.
“I knew even if we had enough players,” said Soares, “they’d shoot it down if there was nobody to coach it.”
“Josh approached me back in August about coaching the team and I was a little skeptical,” Milton admitted. “I had been out of it a couple years. But once it all started, everybody came on board. We’ve got guys from Ingersoll, Norwich, Aylmer, Langton, and the core from Tillsonburg.”
Soares went through his hockey contacts from school, work, Merchants summer hockey in Norwich, and the catch-all, Facebook.
“We had enough time for one (official) team practice, maybe not even one, before we were on the ice for our first game against Tavistock, then Woolwich.”
Daniel Riley, 19, played his rep minor hockey in Ingersoll until last season when he played high school hockey only. His options this year included Junior D in Thamesford or Junior C in Woodstock, but he didn’t want to put that kind of commitment into the sport.
“Then I heard about this from our goalie.”
It’s been a fun season, said Riley, who enjoys the camaraderie, but not the travel times and not losing. Although, as Milton pointed out, traveling and winning was okay.
“I like it most of the time,” Riley nodded. “I enjoy it – I like the guys, it’s a fun group.”
While the team has meshed over the season, it hasn’t been the same as a team that grew up together.
“It’s pretty hard when you start together at juvenile. That’s what we found when we played Glanbrook – they had played their whole lives together and you could tell.”
“I’m happy they eventually gave us a team and didn’t keep pushing us off,” said Soares. “It was worth it – the hard work didn’t all go to waste. Even if we didn’t have the best season, it’s our first juvenile season (in a few years). Teams like Glanbrook, they’re coming off seasons of winning OMHAs and Silver Sticks.”
Glanbrook made short work of the Tillsonburg in the OMHA BB first-round playoffs.
“That didn’t go over too well,” Soares smiled.
Eleven teams played in the 2012-13 Beechey Juvenile Hockey League, from Port Colborne and Wainfleet in the east to Burford and Tillsonburg in the west. Other teams include Tavistock, New Hamburg, Caledonia, and Glanbrook, who dominated with an undefeated season.
“We’re kind of down in the bottom of the middle of the pack,” said Milton after the team’s first Beechey League playoff game against Burford on Wednesday, Feb. 13. “We finished just a little under .500, something like 5-12-4.”
They are a team with a diverse range of talent and experience.
“Oh yeah,” Milton laughed. “I’ve got guys who’ve never played before and I’ve got guys who’ve played 15 years of rep hockey. There’s such a broad spectrum.”
Practices have been a challenge, he said, teaching skills that some players have had since atom/peewee.
“It’s tough to come up with a practice that keeps everybody interested.”
“Different skill levels, and also from different towns,” noted Soares. “Some of the kids from Ingersoll and Aylmer I’ve played against since I was little. We went from rivals to playing on the same team.
At the juvenile age – 18-20 with up to five over-age 21-year-olds – players often have to fit hockey in with work and out-of-town schools.
“It’s harder for some of the kids who are out on their own, they don’t have their parents to back them up (financially),” said Soares.
On the bench, Milton noted some of the challenges juggling ice time. But it’s been worth every minute, he smiled.
“I’m loving it. Absolutely it’s been worth it. It’s a great group of guys. We’re going to do it again next year. I think juvenile’s alive in this town now.”
Looking ahead to next year, Riley wasn’t sure what direction he would go. There had been some talk this season of forming an Ingersoll juvenile team, and he heard Aylmer was also interested. Neither had enough commitment to make it on their own.
Riley said he’d take a ‘wait and see’ approach.
Burford 4, Tillsonburg 2
Wednesday’s Beechey League round-robin playoff game was a see-saw battle through two-and-a-half periods. Tillsonburg’s Derick Tonin knotted the score at 2-2 with 4:45 left in the third, and Burford replied with a go-ahead goal a minute later on a power play.
Soares thought he scored a last-minute equalizer redirecting a pass in front of the net from the half-boards that went off the crossbar… or under the bar.
“It was actually in, from my perspective,” said Soares. “I was standing right beside the net, so I flicked it up and saw the mesh move. So obviously it couldn’t have hit the bar. That’s why, as soon as I shot it I kind of turned away and put my arms up. The ref, who was standing right beside me… I don’t know.
“It was iffy,” Soares smiled. “We need an instant replay.”
Burford iced the 4-2 victory with an empty-net goal.
“We played good, we couldn’t put the puck in the net,” said Riley. “We had a few a few bad bounces – two of their goals went in off our own guys. And we felt like one of our goals should have counted, that didn’t.”
The same two teams play again Sunday, Feb. 17 in Burford. Riley was confident Tillsonburg could and would win the rematch.
“Yes we can,” he stated with no hesitation.
He was right – Tillsonburg shut out Burford 2-0.
Burford 4, Tillsonburg 2
Demaiter Real Estate scoring: 1. Josh Soares (Derick Tonin, Dylan Ralph); 2. Derick Tonin (Brandon Hodgson).