It's a habit that is hard to shake. As I wander from arena
to gymnasium across the region, on a weekend that saw no less
than three hockey tournaments, intermingled with a pair of
NOSSA championships, on top of the usual run-of-the-mill sports
schedule, I sometimes get to talking with friends and
acquaintances.
Okay, I get to talking a lot with these people I meet. These
impromptu conversations are often the source of very
interesting exchanges of ideas, which are extremely valuable in
the role I currently fill within the Sudbury minor sports
scene.
Chatting with Steve Rinneard at the Rayside-Balfour House
League Tournament in Azilda Sunday, I was made aware that the
entire event was run as a "non-body contact" competition - an
interesting concept considering Greater Sudbury does not have,
to my knowledge, a midget league within the area that is
uniquely non-contact.
It is a movement that has gathered momentum in regions ranging
from Ottawa to Timmins. The inclusion of a "non-body contact"
division (or more appropriately, a "no body checking" division)
is part of the Northeast House League hockey league for the
first time this year, with bantam teams separated into two
groupings.
For this weekend anyways, the goal seemed to have been
accomplished as Rinneard noted that suspensions within all
midget games played was limited to just one game misconduct,
and that offense was due to a verbal barrage, rather than any
kind of other  physical infraction.
Fans who remained to the very end on Sunday evening were
treated to an outstanding closing match, as the SMHA Bears and
Rayside Thunder Blades went into overtime to decide the atom
championship.
The contest lasted only largely due to an inspiring performance
between the pipes from Rayside netminder Tyler Collin, who
foiled countless offensive forays by the Bears. Eventually, the
pressure would produce a game-winning goal as Alex Guido netted
his second of the game to lift the Bears past the Thunder 3-2.
In bantam play, Barrie Garner Sports survived very tight
matches in both quarter-final and semi-final play but really
got rolling in the title game, bouncing the Onaping Falls
Huskies 6-1.
There was no lack of scoring in the tyke final, as Alexis
Gendron scored the game-winner with 6:21 remaining, letting the
Rayside Mighty Tigers sneak past the Walden Penguins 7-6.
Nicholas Coursol enjoyed a four-goal outing for the Tigers,
while Avery Chisholm and Ty Pearson scored twice each for the
Penguins.
And one can't help but wonder what the Sault Ste. Marie Kinsmen
novice crew hoped to accomplish this past weekend. Yes, they
walked away with a trophy - this was hardly a surprise as the
Kinsmen outscored their opponents 72-1 in five games played. I
sure hope this is a case of a team not realizing they were
entering a tournament for which they really were not
well-suited.
If not, someone has to explain to these people that games like
this do nothing to benefit either team, not to mention causing
a great deal of hostility to be built, right or wrong, among
opposing parents.
No such disparity over at the T.M. Davies Community Centre in
Walden, as overtime games were common in the 24th annual Lively
Invitational High School Hockey Tournament.
...Suspensions within all midget games played was limited to just one game misconduct, and that offense was due to a verbal barrage, rather than any kind of other physical infraction.
A couple of familiar foes matched up in the final, as the
St. Charles Cardinals and Lasalle Lancers - winners of four of
the past five championships between them - prepared to do
battle Sunday afternoon.
The Lancers needed a goal from Taylor Couillard in the fourth
overtime session to outlast the Horizon Aigles in one
semi-final, while the Cards fought back from a 3-1 deficit to
down Espanola 7-4 in the remaining semi-final.
It was an entertaining final as Lasalle won for the third time
in four years, doubling St. Charles 4-2 as Matt Welch, Kevin
Keyes, Paul Charette and Dylan Thibault scored for the Lancers
- Charette and the Cards' Nick Micelotta were named game MVPs.
And one final of great finishes, this time courtesy of the crew
with the Nickel Centre Minor Hockey Association, as the Flyers
hosted their annual novice-atom-peewee rep tournament.
The event wrapped up Sunday afternoon, in typical fashion, as
the Valley East Rebels and Rayside Tigers headed into quadruple
overtime to decide the Peewee championship, with Jeremi Polsky
scoring the game-winner, with the teams playing two-on-two
hockey, giving the Rebels a 3-2 win.
The Walden Devils grabbed the minor atom crown as goaltender
Jeremy Welsh blanked the Copper Cliff Redmen 3-0, Brett Jacklin
netted a pair to lead the Sudbury Bulldogs past Nickel Centre
5-2 in the novice final while Parry Sound returned home as the
major atom banner winners.
Randy Pascal is the voice of Persona 10 Sports and the founder of SudburySports.com .
