Niagara Rapids Fall Classic

Niagara Rapids Fall Classic September 20-22, 2024

The Ayr Rockets U11 rep girls hockey team began their season with the Niagara Rapids Fall Classic. With only a small amount of exhibition games under their belts, the girls went into the weekend with high expectations.

The first contest saw them matched up against the Etobicoke Dolphins in the early morning on Friday. Peina He kicked off the scoring, blasting a goal top cheese over the goalie’s glove. The pressure was overwhelming for Etobicoke and after the first period the score was 8-0 for The Rockets. In the second period The Rockets kept their foot on the gas and continued to pressure Etobicoke. All the girls had a shot on net and every forward found the back of the twine. The end result was a 17-1 win with the Rockets outshooting Etobicoke 30-2

The Rockets then played against the Lambeth Lancers. An evenly matched contest where the teams struggled to find shots in the first period. The second period was the same from The Rockets to find shots, but not the Lancers. This game the Rockets needed their goalie, Myah Miners-St.Clair to bail them out multiple times in net. And although Marie Mintz was able to steal a goal from the Lancers in the second, Lambeth kept pouring on the shots, doubling what we had in the second and three times of that in the third. Lambeth scored early in the third period to even the contest.

The final score was 1-1 and saw Lambeth outshoot Ayr 12-6. The next day the girls played against the host, Niagara Rapids. The girls once again, brought their early morning A-game and blasted out of the gates against the Rapids leading to a 22-3 shot total in favour of the Rockets. The final score was 7-0. Shots were Ayr: 22 Niagara: 3

The second game of the day against Cambridge would be our toughest yet. The shots and penalties were back and forth as the intensity ramped up. Cambridge got out to an early first period lead by two. Ayr never gave up though and Sadie Hunke scored a goal in the third period to put us on the board. Unfortunately the Rockets fell to the Roadrunners 3-1. The Rockets were outshot 10 to 9

The final day had the Rockets playing the Lambeth Lancers, looking for a win this time. Lambeth stormed out of the gates and outshot the Rockets 5-1 in the first period but couldn’t get past Mighty Mouse. In the second period Ayr found their legs. Ryleigh Corbett sliced through Lambeth’s defence and sniped a goal low blocker side on the goalie. With 1:50 left in the second period Marie Mintz screamed down the ice and tucked another goal in. Ayr secured a 2- 1 win and outshot Lambeth 14-13.

The Rockets got what they wanted, a second chance against the Roadrunners, but now it was for the opportunity to call themselves Champions. The first period was a nerve wracking back and forth affair. In the second the Rockets found another gear and stormed the Roadrunners’ end relentlessly. Brooklyn Ouimette put the Rockets on the board. With 3:28 left in the second Peina He scored low blocker side to put the Rockets up 2-0. In the third Cambridge pushed as hard as they could Myah Miners-St.Clair was no match turning every shot aside, shutting out the Roadrunners 2-0 and bringing home the championship to Ayr as the U11B Niagara Rapids Fall Classic Champions. The Rockets outshot Cambridge 14-12.

Forwards: Sadie Hunke, Elsie Proceviat, Brooklyn Ouimette, Kenna Edgar, Avery Burgess, Marie Mintz, Quinn Hall, Peina He, Grace Larmour
Defence: Ryleigh Corbett, Isla Campbell, Rylea Detzler, Lennon Jordan
Coaches: Darcy Mintz, Steve Lankowski, Jason Hunke, Cody Hall
Trainer: Amy Miners