Your Kimberly’s Hearing Lightning spent last weekend in Dresden Ontario taking part in this years Mason Berube Memorial Tournament. The Tournament as some of you know, is in memory of Mason Berube and his best friend Devon Tinus who passed away in a tragic accident March 13, 2009 coming home from a London Knights game with Mason’s father Jason.
Friday Nov 23rd
The Lightning’s first game was against the Dresden Jr. Kings Maroons Friday afternoon. The Maroons are one of five Peewee teams in this tournament that play in the Kent Tri County Local League. And the only team to have won a regular game against the lightning this far into the hockey season. The Maroons came into the game beaming with confidence and if not for the strong goaltending of Lightning goalie Lucas Vidler then the outcome would surely have been different. As it was Eric Romano who opened the scoring 2 ½ minutes into the game, assisted by Jacob Hamilton and Josh Flemington. The 1 – 0 Lightning lead stayed intact until 8:31 of the 2nd when Lightning forward Camden Blackburn netted a Jacob Hamilton rebound. It looked like the Maroons would get one back when the Lightning were caught with to many on the ice at 6:47. But it was the Lightning to find the back of the net as Eric Romano would get his second of the night scoring short handed and assisted by Jacob Hamilton and Josh Flemington. The Dresden Maroons starting digging a deeper hole for themselves as Zach Hart was handed a 2 minute penalty for tripping at 4:04. Lightning forward Sam Knowler made them pay as he took a pass from Brady Pook putting the Lightning ahead by 4. In the 3rd the Maroons could only muster 4 shots on goal and the Lightning would go on to score two more. One from Brayden Howe when he would knock the puck from a Maroon defence and break in alone to score. And a second from Sam Knowler from another Brady Pook pass. The Final Score was Lightning 6, Maroons 0. After the game the Lightning team went to supper sponsored by Godfathers pizza.
Saturday Nov 24th
Saturday morning Kimberly’s Hearing Lightning had a date with the Lincoln Blades from the Niagara District Local League. The puck to drop at 8:00am in Dresden. In order to be at the rink for 7am, the boys had to be up for an early breakfast no later then 6. However, every one of them made it on time and rip-reran to go. The Lightning opened the scoring on their very first shift with the puck getting back to Ryelly Hill on defense. He ripped a shot off the boards behind the goal net and it came right out to Joe Stoner who then moved it to Sam Knowler. Sam flipped the puck into the open net as the Lincoln Goalie Nikolas Hanson was still trying to locate the puck. Lightning forward Jacob Hamilton would score 46 seconds later from Eric Romano and Ayden Larkin putting them up 2-0. The score stayed that way until late in the first when Brady Pook would score assisted by Defensemen Josh Flemington and Ryelly Hill. The Lincoln Blades tried hard to find a goal or two but kept missing the net. The lightning would go on to add another four goals. Three in the 2nd all scored by Jacob Hamilton and one in the 3rd scored by Camden Blackburn with Ryelly Hill, Drew Rumble, Ayden Larkin, Lukin Paiement, Eric Romano and Josh Flemington all credited with assists. The final Score: Lightning 7, Lincoln 0.
After the game the entire team, Including family and friends, went up the road to Burns Family Restaurant for a great breakfast buffet.
Sunday Nov 25th
Winning the first two games of the Tournament put the Lightning in a great spot going into the Semi Finals Sunday Morning. The Lightning would now be paired off with the Southwest Bullets who had a win over the Petrolia Oilers and a loss to Dresden White on Saturday. As it turned out, This game was a nail biter from start to finish. Right off the opening face off each team would stop the other from carrying the puck into the opponents zone. To gain the zone you had to shoot it in and chase it .During one of these dump and chase plays Bullets defenseman Seth Vanmiddlekoop lost positioning on Lightning forward Camden Blackburn and found himself in the penalty box for tripping and giving the Lightning a two minute 5 on 4 power-play. The Bullets were able to kill it off and close out the first period with a 0-0 tie. The first goal of the game never came until halfway through the second period when Bullets forward, Ethan DeWild would collect a pass from Johnny Kemp and shoot it just past the glove of Lightning goalie Lucas Vidler Then before the 2nd would end Ethan DeWild would add a second only this time from Parker Feasey putting the Bullets up by two. The Lightning offense only manage five shots on net all period and would shoot the puck wide another six times. It didn’t look good going into the third as Lightning forward Brady Pook began to show frustration by taking an unnecessary Body Contact penalty. Before the Lightning could kill it off, Bullets forward Alexandra Wellington would be called for tripping and then Bullets forward Emmett Crandon would get the gate for excessive Body Contact. That gave the Lightning a 5 on 3 powerplay for 1:17 seconds. Even with the two man advantage the Lightning could not solve the outstanding goaltending of Joel De Lancey. Then with the clock running down, Lightning coach Lonnie Hamilton pulled the goalie in favor of an extra attacker and it pays off within seconds as Eric Romano would get a nice pass from Jacob Hamilton and score with 1:45 left on the clock. The Bullets won the center ice faceoff, taking control of the puck and knocking seconds off the clock before the Lightning could gain control and pull their goalie again. This time Bullets goalie stopped and smothered the puck forcing a faceoff to his right. The Bullets won the ensuing faceoff and managed to clear the puck from their zone, running the clock out and ending the Lightning’s chance at a Championship. Final Score: Lightning 1, Bullets 2.
On behalf of Kimberly’s Hearing Lightning I would like to congratulate the Southwest Bullets and they went on to beat the Dresden Maroons 1-0 and capture the 2019 Mason Berube Memorial Tournament Championship.