It was a tense final 18 seconds for the U13 Collingwood Jr. Blues as they played for the Silver Stick title last week.
But in the end, they came out on top.
The U13 Collingwood Jr. Blues took the International Silver Stick title in Pelham in a shut-out stint during the tournament that ran Jan. 9-12, the first time in a long time that a Collingwood team has taken home the gold. The team beat the Dorchester Dragons in the final, 3-2.
“There was quite a crowd. When the goal went in, the cheers that rang out could be heard for a long distance,” recalled head coach Ryan Shantz in an interview. “The gloves and sticks were in the air – it was pure exhilaration.”
Shantz said the team felt confident going into the tournament, however with them competing against some U.S. teams for the title, there were some unknowns.
“As a whole, they’re kind of having a perfect season,” said Shantz, noting that the team has won all but one game so far during regular season play, aside from one tie game.
“They were ready to go, but they knew they were going to face some talent they hadn’t seen before.”
The Blues were undefeated all weekend, facing the Dragons in the final.
“They’re a strong team with a lot of large players,” said Shantz.
The game was tied 2-2 up until the end when the Blues scored and brought the score to 3-2. They had 18 seconds left to hold onto their winning position.
“It was a really intense game. We were nervous with everything on the line,” said Shantz. “At this point, my heart was jumping.”
The U13 Collingwood Jr. Blues are Cam Shantz, Gavin Barr, Nate Belknap, Townes Boivin, Brodie Box, Hudson Dettman, Carter Foss, Oscar Hays, Luca Imbriglio, Owen Jones, Sully Oates, Dougie Ottewell, Ben Phillips and Braden Weatherill. Led by head coach Ryan Shantz, Braden Box and Mike Weatherill serve as assistant coaches, along with trainers Ryan Foss and Chris Jones.
Overall, Shantz said the wins over the weekend can be attributed to the team playing strong defence.
“That’s the key. The whole team has bought into the team-first system, getting away from relying on individuals to win games,” he said.
International Silver Stick started in 1956 in Richmond Hill and bloomed to become one of the largest North American minor hockey tournaments. Fifty-two tournaments take place under the Silver Stick banner annually North America-wide. One of Collingwood’s U11 teams also won at regionals and made it to the tournament, but didn’t make the finals.
Shantz said next steps for the team include another tournament this coming weekend in East Gwillimbury, and then the team will return to regular season play.
“They’re trying to win it all. They’re a confident bunch and great kids,” he said.
