Jr. Everblades’ Squirt AA squad captures Ellenton Silver Stick crown By Bob Miller
before they were put to a stern test in the champion- ship game in the International Silver Stick qualifier at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex back on Dec. 11. Their triumph in the tournament earned them a trip to Sarnia, Ont., for the Silver Stick finals sched- uled for Jan. 20-22. In the qualifier tourney in Ellenton, the Jr. Ev- erblades, led by head coach Karl Masnjak and assistant coach Chuck Crowel, dominated their op- ponents to the tune of a 34-8 goal-scoring edge over the six games of competition that qualified them for finals play.
T The tournament championship game was no easy
win for the Jr. Everblades even though they had dominated all their opponents leading to the final. The Phoenix-Kennesaw squad from Atlanta ex- tended the Jr. Everblades to their narrowest margin of victory, a 1-0 nail-biter for the tourney win and the right to continue on in competition in Sarnia. It was only fitting that Jr. Everblades forward Alex
Brown scored the game’s only goal in the final. Brown led all Jr. Everblades in scoring with 13 goals and four assists over the six games he played. Keegan Wise, who finished tournament play
with a 1.25 goals-against average, was perfect in the Jr. Everblades net in the clincher against Phoenix- Kennesaw. Both Brown and Wise were ecstatic over the opportunity to travel way northward to experience
he Florida Jr. Everblades Squirt AA team cut through its preliminary round competition easily
Canada in late January. “I’m looking forward to seeing some tougher teams and seeing snow for the first time,” said Brown.
Wise was a little more goal-oriented in his feelings about the pending trip. “I’m looking forward to the challenge the most,” Wise said. “We have to work hard together as a team to win games. I want to go to Canada because it is the hockey capital of the world.” In Ellenton, the Jr. Everblades opened play on Dec.
9 with a 6-1 victory over Phoenix-Kennesaw. Next on the docket was a match against the Oldsmar-based Raiders. The Jr. Everblades continued their winning ways with a 7-1 win over the Raiders to complete a perfect first day of play. The following day proved just as successful for
the Jr. Everblades. The Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning were the second day’s initial victims as the Jr. Everblades lengthened their tournament winning streak to three games with a 6-2 win. The Golden Wolves from Pemberton Pines couldn’t stop the Jr. Everblades march to the finals, succumbing 7-2 to the surging Fort Myers squad.
One more obstacle stood between the
Jr. Everbaldes and a berth in the tourna- ment finals, the Florida Jr. Panthers. The Jr. Everblades started Sunday competition with a 7-2 shellacking of the Jr. Panthers and advanced forward to their most difficult test in the final against Phoenix-Kennesaw. Although Brown easily led all Jr. Ever-
blades scorers, more than doubling the next highest offensive performance, four other Everblades skat- ers supported the winning cause with multiple goal output. Gage Dill had six goals and eleven assists, Holden Hartog chipped in with five goals and nine assists, Jacob Stirns added three goals and two as- sists and Thomas Filoramo popped in two markers and added two assists of his own. Christian Tracy supported Wise in net with a 1.50 goals-against average. Defenseman Jake Van Cleave had an added
reason to be excited about the next step in the Silver Stick playdowns. “I am excited to play teams from Canada since I
have relatives that lived and played hockey in Cana- da,” Van Cleave said. “I am most looking forward to having fun and playing well with my teammates from all over the U.S. and Canada. “This is an experience of a lifetime.”
The Florida Jr. Everblades’ Squirt AA squad poses proudly with its medals and championship banner after winning the Silver Stick qualifier in Ellenton on Dec. 11. Photo/Andy D’Jamoos
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