The Julie Emery U10A Orillia Terriers won the 400 Cup hockey tournament in Alliston this weekend. The win capped off a three-day, six-win, undefeated weekend for the local squad.
The Terriers started the weekend with a tilt against Caledon where the Terriers dominated from start to finish, earning a 6-0 shutout win. Callum LeBarr and Spencer Collet led the scoring with two goals each, while Walker Cronan and Brett Ericson tallied with one each. Thomas Truemner earned the shutout in net for the win.
Game 2 on Friday afternoon proved more difficult against West Niagara where the Terriers prevailed 5-4 in a back-and-forth affair. Goals were scored by LeBarr (2), Elias Bilissess, Oscar Tilley and Thomas Skentzos. Nash Butler had a solid game as the defensive player of the game.
Game 3 was a very early 7 a.m. match against the Leaside Flames, Orillia scored early and often against the Toronto-based squad, cruising to an 8-2 victory. Owen Turner and Tilley led the scoring with two goals each and individual goals were scored by Brooklyn Reed, Parker Lynch, Ericson, and LeBarr. Oliver MacLean had a strong skate for the defensive player of the game.
Game 4 later Saturday morning saw Orillia take on the host squad TNT. Orillia shook off a slow start and skated to a 7-1 victory. Lebarr netted a hat trick on top of goals from Collet (2), Tilley and Ericson. Rebekah Lacroix received player of the game honours for her defensive performance.
The win qualified the Terriers as the No. 1.
The semi final was against the No. 4 seed Niagara Flyers. Orillia started strong with two goals from Reed in the first period. Turner and Collet netted goals in the second advancing the Terriers to a 4-1 lead. Niagara, however, showed no quit, using penalty trouble by Orillia to storm back and tie the game in the third to force overtime.
Orillia started overtime short handed due to a late penalty, but a strong rush and a five-hole blast by Ericson sealed the dramatic win for the Terriers. Kyle Dickson had an amazing game on defence for the Terriers.
The finals were now set for early Sunday afternoon against the second-seeded Caledon Hawks. The 400 Cup hosts really amped up the players with a dramatic pre-game introduction ceremony.
Caledon responded well and scored early on Orillia. Turner responded with a hard shot goal from the point right off a face off but Caledon tallied another to take a 2-1 lead into the second.
The Terriers regrouped in the second, dramatically out-skating the Hawks and scoring three goals in the period. One came on a nice shot off the rush by Lebarr, Skentzos buried a nice pass from Ericson and Collet made a nifty deke on a rebound to propel the Terriers to a 4-2 lead after two periods.
The third period saw the Terriers rely on strong goaltending from Heydon MacKaracher, who came on in relief at the start of the second and refused to give up the goal, locking down the championship for his team.
The Terriers next home game is on Jan. 27 at 2:40 p.m. against the rival Barrie Colts where the Orillia team, currently sitting second, hope to keep the win streak going.