Cougar Bantam A Team makes Final in Perinton Tourney

March 1, 2009

The Gloucester Cougar Bantam A team battled their way courageously into the final game of the Perinton Youth Hockey 19th Annual Spring Hockey Tournamant at the Thomas Creek Ice Arena in Fairport, near Rochester, NY this past week-end.

With several players sick with the flu, the Cougars won all three of their round-robin games before going down to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the PYH Sabres in the final.

Cougars were led by sensational goaltending from both William Cameron and Laurence Sabila who shared duty between the pipes. Cameron won the team MVP for the tournament with two shutout performances.

The Cougars began on Friday evening with a 1-0 victory against the PYH Sabres in a hard-fought, close checking contest that featured an eye-popping stick save by a sprawling Cameron in the third period to save the shutout. A first period goal by team captain David Parker proved to be the winner.

On Saturday morning, the Cougars bested the other local team, the PYH Bruins, 3-1 with Sabila in the net. Jared Blanchette, Robert LeBlanc, and Brandon Guy scored for the Cougars with LeBlanc scoring the game winner shorthanded in the second frame.

Later in the day, the Cougars took on the Nepean Raiders who also made the journey from Ottawa for the tournament. Cameron got his second shutout as the Cougars blanked the Raiders 4-0, picking up goals from Julian Clyne, Brandon Guy, Matt Sunohara, and Leo Guilhem to notch the win.

Going into the final on Sunday, the Cougars had accumulated 13.5 out of a possible 15 tournament points to lead the Bantam pack. However, the boys were hampered in their final game by the flu and by an off-ice injury which sidelined Jared Blanchette for the last game, a rematch against the PYH Sabres. The Sabres scored 2 in the first and added one goal in each of the second and third period to win the game 4-1. The lone Cougar goal came from Brandon Guy early in the second.

Still, the Cougars could be proud of having excelled in this full-contact tournament which introduced many members of the team to the added dimension and dangers of NHL-style body-checking.

The Cougars participation in this and other tournaments would not have been possible without the generous contribution of those who supported our fundraising efforts. We wish especially to thank VIA Rail, St. Hilaire Fashions of Montreal, Shepherd's Fashions of Ottawa, Capital Hill Group, and Reg. MacDonald for donating prizes for our giant raffle.

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