Atoms sow seeds for future victory
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Trevor Lamb's time out was a strategic, rather than tactical manoeuvre.
Given the fact the Tillsonburg Horizon Seeds Atoms were trailing 6-2 to Listowell with 1:20 remaining in regulation time of the PK Construction Inc. Roy Beechey Memorial Rep Tournament final, odds of victory there were minimal. His decision to take advantage of a learning opportunity was more of a statement to his own team.
"We just don't give up, it doesn't matter what the time on the clock is," said Lamb last Sunday following a 6-2 loss. "We just wanted to give the kids the sense of playing that kind of situation if we have to come down to it later on."
The message was received, said Tyler Bouck, who faced more shots than he's used to between the pipes.
"Never give up on any game."
The teams traded goals in the first period, Travis Lamb assisted by Juliusz Kowalski for Tillsonburg, before Listowel opened closed out the frame with a three-goal run and 4-1 lead. Carter Servais rounded a hat-trick in the second to extend Listowel's advantage to 5-1 and Chet Hudson's marker opened up a 6-1 lead with 8:52 remaining in the third.
The Horizon Seeds atoms battled to the end, with Brandon Balazs notching his team's second goal with 2:37 remaining, helped out on the play by Joel Verspeeten.
"They're pretty good," credited Tillsonburg's Evan Moore. "They wanted to win as much as us and they tried to get the puck.
"I learned to skate hard because they might fly right past you."
"It was a tough game," added Bouck. "We're going to work a little harder and try and get better."
A comparatively-young atom squad with six second-year players and eight rookies from last year's powerhouse novice team is already well on that path, credited coach Lamb.
"We're proud of the kids, their effort this weekend was fantastic. That's a good hockey team we just played, hard on the puck with good skaters. That's the style of game we'd like to play."
Tillsonburg had opened its round-robin draw with a 6-1 victory over Mt. Brydges. Hayden McLean paced the attack with a pair of goals and an assist, Balazs added two goals, Jeff Gardham a single and Kowalski and Jack Main an assist each.
The Horizon Seeds atoms squared off 3-3 with Essex in their second outing, hanging on for the single point despite giving up two goals in the final minute. Balazs had a goal and an assist, Kowalski and Eli Newsom a goal each and Connor Roberts, Travis Lamb and Michel Laundrie an assist apiece.
Tillsonburg skated past Saugeen Shores by a four-goal margin (6-2) to close out round-robin play. McLean had a hat-trick and two assists to pace the assault, Verspeeten a goal and an assist, Main a goal and an assist, Balazs a goal and Newsom one assist.
Balazs scored the extra-time goal just 35 seconds into OT, assisted by Moore, as Tillsonburg edged Petrolia 4-3 in overtime in their semi-final encounter. Moore had a pair of goals in regulation time, McLean a goal and Kowalski, Nolan McCrossin and Balazs an assist each.
The Roy Beechey championship game backed up a final appearance in Caledonia a week earlier, said coach Lamb, who is 'ecstatic' with the team's play thus far into the season.
"The kids can't be disappointed, playing hard right to the very end. I don't think it's in our kids to roll over. They want to keep fighting to the end, that's just the type of team we have."