Special to the Sydenham Current
The Wallaceburg Atom AE Lakers left their mark on the Fort Erie Winter Challenge Tournament this weekend.
A hard fought six games earned this underdog team a First Place finish and a perfect end to the holiday break.
After finishing 5th out of 10 teams in the opening round robin, the Lakers were faced with the having to play a wild card quarter final game against the Orillia Terriers.
That Saturday afternoon game ended in a 2-1 victory for Wallaceburg after a tight contest.
The win set the stage for a semifinal against first overall, and undefeated Schomberg Red Wings early Sunday morning.
The Red Wings came to play and blasted Laker’s goaltender Cooper Crowe with nearly 50 shots.
The Lakers persevered, matching the Wings play when it counted the most and were able to keep the score 2-2 through regulation.
The extra 4-on-4 frame played out the same way and ended in a deadlock.
It took five rounds of a shootout to determine the winner, Cooper Crowe stood tall, and Wallaceburg’s Nash Lane finished it off with a nifty deke to send the Lakers to the Finals.
The Waterloo Wolves came hungry and played spectacular, but the Lakers were ready for the ‘wolf pack’.
During the tournament Wallaceburg’s entire squad played some of their best hockey of the season.
Strong defense, puck hungry offence, and solid special teams led them to this long-awaited opportunity.
With every player making a contribution, and displaying old fashioned hard work they carried confidence straight to the final.
History repeated itself when the final game also ended in a tie after the first three periods.
Except this time the game was scoreless.
Again the 4-on-4 sudden death overtime failed to yield a winner and the Wolves and Lakers were forced to a shootout.
It took four rounds this time before Austin Martin slid the puck in to give Crowe and fellow teammates the shutout championship victory.
A very proud coaching staff joined the team on the ice for the ensuing celebration, while dedicated fans and parents filled the arena with cheers.
The Wallaceburg AE Lakers are hoping to use this recent success as a springboard as they head into game one of OMHA playdowns this Friday at home against Lambeth Lancers.
It was a stellar performance in Fort Erie this past weekend by each and every player, they are poised for success if they can continue to keep up the hard work.
– Submitted photo
