By: Brock Camden Early on the morning of March 27th, the Hillfield Trojans hockey team hopped on the bus and headed off to Pittsburgh for a High school hockey tournament including teams from both Canada and USA. There first game was later that night against a fellow Canadian team, the Aylmer Flames. The black and green jerseys clashed on the ice as the game began. The five-hour bus rides were no match for the spirits of these young Canadians. It was apparent at the start of the game that the OMHA finalist Flames were well prepared. They effectively cycled the puck in the Hillfield end throughout the contest. The Flames popped in some quick goals early in the first and second periods making it 3-0. This lead lasted until Hillfield’s #13 Jacob Reid was skating the puck over his own blue line when he lost it in his feet. After finding the puck in a midst of two Aylmer players he skated threw the rest of their team and scored. Soon after Jacob scored a second goal for Hillfield and the score was 3-2 going into the third period. The Flames offense pressed hard on the Hillfield defense and resulted in two more goals. Both goals were cross ice passes to a man in the low slot, which left no chance for Hillfield goaltender Dan West. Aylmer won the game 5-2. The next day Hillfield had an early game against Archbishop Ryan White of Philadelphia. Having also lost their first game, it was a must win for both teams. It was a solid, even game for the first half of the first period until Hillfield’s Taylor Hanson broke the ice and tipped in a shot from the point to make it 1-0 Hillfield. Hillfield maintained their lead throughout the rest of the first period and well into the second when Brock Camden scored a breakaway goal assisted by Eric Jackson and Haydon Lutz. In the dying moments of the second period, Ryan White got a quick goal from the slot to make it 2-1. Both teams were hungry for a win as things got heated between them in the third period, but luckily things didn’t get too far. Hillfield’s Hayden Lutz scored an empty net goal with a minute left from his own blue line to put the game away. Hillfield won the game 3-1. After watching the Pittsburgh Penguins play the New York Rangers at Mellon arena that afternoon, Hillfield was back on the ice Against the Cleveland Jr. Jacks. Since the Jacks were 2-0-0, and Hillfield was 1-1-0, for Hillfield to advance they would need to win by four because of goal differential. The Jr. Jacks were 2-0-0 for a reason as Hillfield found out as they scored two goals early in the first period. Hillfield woke up soon after and played even for the rest of the first period. The second period was back and forth until the Jacks broke in and scored a tip in goal from the point. Hillfield realized that their tournament hopes were lost and it was going to be their last game of the season so they left it all on the ice for the rest of the game. Late in the second period Hillfield’s Mike Malott received a cross-ice pass and capitalized on his opportunity to make the game 3-1. After the final speech of the season between periods, Coach Zelinski showed his Hillfield team wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Hillfield’s Captain Lucas Currah took hold of the game and led the way for a Hillfield comeback. Midway through the third period Lucas skated the puck end to end and put the puck top shelf. Only moments later the Captain struck again with a wrap around goal to tie the game at 3-3. It looked like the game was coming to a close when a Jacks player caught a good bounce and went in one on none against the Hillfield goalie and scored with three seconds left in the game. The final score was 4-3 for Cleveland Junior Jacks. The first year of the Hillfield Strathallan’s Hockey program was a success: they achieved what they wanted to; the stepping-stones for a team in the future.
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