Under 13 (U13) - U13-C
Storm Watch: Tournament Edition VOL.2
Storm Watch: Tournament Edition Vol.2- Repeat or Redeem
What a weekend for the Carleton Place U13C Cyclones! The group faced familiar foes and broke new ground in their search to place themselves amongst the toughest in the league. Just take a look at their remarkable stats:
| Team | GP | W | L | T | P | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | DIFF | PIM | WIN % | +/- |
| Carleton Place Cyclones #7454 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 16 | 18 | 1.000 | 16 |
We could dissect each and every game, breaking down the strength of the Cyclones throughout their 5-game winning streak, but we all know why you're here. Despite the tremendous play over 4 games of round robin and finishing first in their division, the Cyclones would be pitted against a familiar foe once more. A strong 4-1 victory meant nothing to a team that had seen this story play out before. Their dominance over every single team in the round robin meant nothing if they could not seal the deal with a win over the Nepean Wildcats in the finals. As though scripted, the Cyclones second tournament would provide them with a chance to redeem themselves after the upset at the Halloween Havoc not even a month earlier.
The previous games prepared the girls. An early 4-1 win over the Wildcats proved that they could be beaten and that the Cyclones had the ability to control the game. A 2-0 win over Smiths Falls demonstrated how much the team had grown since their pre-season encounters with the Cubs. A 7-0 thumping of the Bellville Bearcats proved that the Cyclones had scoring power and could dominate a game from start to finish. And finally, a 3-0 victory over the Lambeth Lancers proved that the Cyclones could hold a solid team in their own end for the majority of the game, capitalizing on chances as they came.
But could the Cyclones battle old demons? Could they dig deep against a team that had taken gold from them before? The pre-game speech was relatively straightforward: "If you are not motivated to give it your all for this game, I'm not sure what else could motivate you. This is ours to win. This is payback!" Coaches were clear that the team would need to beat Nepean on all fronts. They would need to be tougher, faster, and more determined. They would need the perfect game.
The Cyclones took to the ice in their now signature run. Blasting through the doors with explosive intensity. The grit and intention were there well before puck drop. Katie Chase continued her fantastic weekend by netting her fourth goal of the tournament and getting the Cyclones on the board first. Ava McGarry got the helper. Soon after, Daria Sullivan sent Chloee Carmody in on a breakaway that resulted in her first goal of the year. The team erupted with excitement as they had the Wildcats down by 2 in the first period. The second period saw no scoring from either side, but the Wildcats found moments of momentum- putting the Cyclones on their heels at times.
Sophia Brown eased the tension in the third period with her first of the tournament- a goal that will go down in the ages. Fans have argued that she deked through the entire team twice before netting the third goal of the game. And then it happened.... The most dangerous lead in hockey came back to bite the Cyclones. Penalty trouble hit, as well as a few defensive breakdowns. Before they knew what had happened, the Cyclones were in a 3-2 game. Pressure mounted. Tender, Piper Nicholson, knew she would need to be sharp. But just as it seemed like a full comeback was inevitable, Shaelin Chalmers set up Lila Faris, who dove like a young Bobby Orr to ensure the puck hit the back of the net. Just like that, the Cyclones had restored a comfortable lead.
Nepean, however, kept up the battle. A questionable call put the Cyclones a player down with less than two minutes left to play. The Cyclones were caught scrambling, and an unfortunate bounce found its way past Nicholson with only 42 seconds left in the game. We now had a 4-3 game, and the Wildcats were quick to pull their tender for the extra attacker. This was where the Cyclones regrouped and played the puck perfectly to secure the win. They fought hard and did not take any risky chances. As the buzzer sounded, the girls knew that they had indeed righted a past wrong. They had redeemed themselves. They came for gold and left with exactly that.
The players rushed to the ice to congratulate each other before lining up for the medal ceremony. Instead of tears of sadness, tears of joy erupted. When captain Shaelin Chalmers raised the championship trophy above her head and skated toward her team, along with assistant captains Clara Salter, Ava McGarry, and Sophia Brown, reality set in and the girls celebrated a fitting end to a hard-fought tournament. Asked about the slight breakdown in the third, captain Chalmers responded with optimism: "We were never behind. We had the lead the entire game."
And so, as the sun went down over Carleton Place, Ontario, a new breed of Champions had emerged. A banner will hang in their home arena to commemorate the moment the U13 Cyclones redeemed themselves. The silver, now replaced with gold. One now is left to wonder, "What other redemptions may lie ahead?" Glengarry arrives in Almonte this coming Saturday for Cyclones Day. Do the girls have what it takes to end their perfect season? This reporter is optimistic. A storm swells. With a few days off, and the lessons learned from this past weekend, Glengarry can expect to meet a new and improved Cyclones team.
*Below is a scoring breakdown for each game of the tournament, along with players of the game and Cyclones Hardest Working Player. We would breakdown the penalty minutes, but there isn't enough room.
Game 1
Carleton Place Cyclones (4) Vs Nepean Wildcats (1)
1st Period
G- #8 Shaelin Chalmers (1) assisted by #10 Katie Chase (1)
G-#8 Shaelin Chalmers (2) assisted by #7 Clara Salter (1)
2nd Period
No Cyclones scoring
3rd Period
G- #6 Daria Sullivan (1) assisted by # 8 Shaelin Chalmers (1) and #10 Katie Chase (2)
G- #22 Ava McGarry (1) assisted by #10 Katie Chase (3)
Player of the Game- # 11 Julia Olmsted (Awarded for setting the tone early and making it difficult around our net.)
Cyclones Hardest Worker- #9 Tessa Creamer
Game 2
Carleton Place Cyclones (2) Vs Smiths Falls Cubs (0)
1st Period
No Cyclones scoring
2nd Period
G- #10 Katie Chase (1) assisted by Daria Sullivan (1)
G- #8 Shaelin Chalmers (3) assisted by #17 Sophia Brown (1) and #10 Katie Chase (4)
3rd Period
No Cyclones Scoring
Shutout- #1 Josie Halayko
Player of the Game- #10 Katie Chase (Awarded for continuously creating opportunities by anchoring our triangle formation in the offensive end.)
Cyclones Hardest Worker- #16 Ellie Sloan
Game 3
Carleton Place Cyclones (7) Vs Bellville Bearcats (0)
1st Period
G- #8 Shaelin Chalmers (4) assisted by #10 Katie Chase (5)
2nd Period
G- #8 Shaelin Chalmers (5) assisted by #6 Daria Sullivan (2)
G- #5 Lila Faris (1) assisted by #8 Shaelin Chalmers (2) and #22 Ava McGarry (2)
G- #10 Katie Chase (2) assisted by #16 Ellie Sloan (1)
3rd Period
G- #8 Shaelin Chalmers (6) unassisted
G- #8 Shaelin Chalmers (7) assisted by #22 Ava McGarry (3)
G- #8 Shaelin Chalmers (8) assisted by #22 Ava McGarry (4) and #5 Lila Faris (1)
Shutout- #29 Piper Nicholson
Player of the Game- #8 Shaelin Chalmers (Awarded for an incredibly dominant offensive game as well as excellent backchecking.)
Cyclones Hardest Worker- #22 Ava McGarry
Game 4
Carleton Place Cyclones (3) vs Lambeth Lancers (0)
1st Period
G- #6 Daria Sullivan (2) assisted by Katie Chase (6) and #17 Sophia Brown (2)
2nd Period
G- #8 Shaelin Chalmers (9) assisted by #5 Lila Faris (2) and #24 Katie Soper (1)
3rd Period
G- #10 Katie Chase (3) assisted by #17 Sophia Brown (3)
Shutout- #1 Josie Halayko
Player of the Game- #6 Daria Sullivan (Awarded for great two-way play. Getting on the board first and ensuring that she was dominant at both ends of the ice.)
Cyclones Hardest Worker- #32 Mila Straznicky
Game 5- The Finals
Carleton Place Cyclones (4) vs Nepean Wildcats (3)
1st Period
G- #10 Katie Chase (4) assisted by #22 Ava McGarry (5)
G- #13 Chloee Carmody (1) assisted by Daria Sullivan (3)
2nd Period
No Cyclones Scoring
3rd Period
G- #17 Sophia Brown (1) unassisted
G- #5 Lila Faris (2) assisted by #8 Shaelin Chalmers (3)
Player of the Game- #17 Sophia Brown (Awarded for a gritty and determined game. Her goal may one day be a Canadian Heritage Minute.)
Cyclones Hardest Worker- #26 Meredith Clarke
Quick Facts
-The Cyclones recorded 3 shutouts in the 4 games of round robin play
-The Cyclones outscored their opponents 16-1 in round robin play
-Two Cyclones players recorded 10 or more points throughout the tournament (Katie Chase- 10 Points/ Shaelin Chalmers- 12 Points)
-A defensive player was awarded the hardest working player 4 out of 5 times
-The Smiths Falls Cubs showed their respect and sympathy for Reese Olmsted by kneeling on the ice as the Cyclones stepped off the bench (flowers and a card were also given to the family)
-The Championship game saw scoring from four different players (all wingers)
-The Cyclones once again led the division in penalty minutes (tied with Nepean)
