No rushing through the airport? No time for movies on the car ride? This can’t really be a hockey tournament…can it? Yes!! Teams from Canada, Michigan, and Missouri traveled to Bensenville for an opportunity to knock the stuffing out of each other in the first ever Girls Thanksgiving Tournament hosted at the Edge. Another solid test for the girls from Illinois to see how far they have progressed along their journey to maximize their potential. Put another way …. One more chance to climb the mountain together.
The TI 16U’s opened up on Friday morning, November 25th, against a team from Brampton, Ontario in a game that featured tight checking and solid positional play by both teams. TI dented the scoreboard first with four minutes to play in the first period. Both teams got excellent goaltending and played stingy defense and it looked like the one goal would hold up until the final 2 minutes of the third period when Brampton tied it up. This late goal could have been very deflating for TI and motivating for Brampton, however, on the very next shift, TI showed that they were not about to give up. A tenacious fore check and a pinpoint pass were followed by a perfectly aimed shot that found the back of the net and recaptured the lead 2-1. They held on for the victory and an exciting opening to the weekend of hockey.
Next up was the Michigan Capitals and once again much of the first period was scoreless. However, once TI broke the ice about 9 minutes in, they reeled off three unanswered goals in the final 6 minutes to end the period up 3-0. The Capitals scored on a power play in the second period but TI added three more to end the second with a comfortable 6-1 edge. In the third, TI scored in the opening thirty seconds and then focused on protecting the lead, closing it out 7-1 and moving their record to 2 – 0.
On Saturday morning, the first opponent was the St. Louis Cyclones. TI got off to a fast start in this one, scoring just one and a half minutes into the first period. They kept the pressure on the girls from Missouri and put 5 on the board before the first horn sounded. They lost the shutout early in the second but put 4 more on the board before going into the trap for the entire third period. In the end, TI had their third victory by a score of 9-1 and had secured the top spot in their division heading into the playoff round.
Finishing with the top seed did not prove to draw an easy first round opponent for TI as cross town rival CYA had a rough go in the seeding round and ended up winless. So Saturday evening, they squared off in what everyone knew would be a hard fought, emotional battle. Anyone who thought girls hockey was not a contact sport was in for a real surprise in this one. CYA came out flying and found the net with a high slap shot from the slot on the first shift of the game. Action was fast and furious and the score remained 1-0 until late in the first when TI tied it up. But CYA was still determined and when they got a power play midway through the second they regained the lead 2-1. However, TI answered two minutes later with a power play goal of their own and then took the lead for the first time with an even strength tally before the second period ended. The intensity remained high throughout the third period and it appeared that CYA had gotten the break they needed in the final two minutes when TI was whistled for two penalties. CYA pulled their goalie and their vaunted power play had a 6 on 3 advantage for almost a full minute. However, TI withstood the pressure and even added an empty netter as time expired to seal a hard earned 4-2 triumph.
Their fourth victory of the tourney earned them a date on Sunday morning with the London Devilettes, another talented Canadian team who had won the other quarterfinal match up. The girls in blue and white again came out very strong and moved on top 2-0 in the first 5 minutes of the opening period. Both teams then settled into a tight checking defensive battle and there was no scoring until the final minute of period two when TI converted a power play for a 3-0 lead. The game got a bit chippy as a trip to the championship was at stake. In the end, TI proved that the key to their success is moving feet….not jaws. They finished the scoring by taking advantage of a rare penalty shot for a 4-0 win and a rematch against Brampton for all the marbles.
They knew that they could ill afford any mistakes against a very solid squad from Brampton. The first period featured back and forth action with TI out shooting their opponents from the north 8-3 but neither team able to get on the board. The second period was more of the same until TI broke through with just under 5 minutes left. This first goal shifted the momentum in their favor and they capitalized on it quickly, sandwiching two more goals around a Brampton tally to extend the lead to 3-1. As the second period came to a close, a final transition turned into a TI fast break and a shot at the buzzer which beat the Canadian net minder and sent the game into the third period with TI ahead 4-1. That’s the way it ended and after six games in three days, the TI 16U’s claimed the first place trophy and reached the pinnacle of this particular mountain. However, do not get the impression they will rest long on their laurels. A tough Midwest elite weekend in mid December awaits them before they climb icy slopes of the Polar Bear Tournament after Christmas.
Congratulations to coaches Tony Cachey and Margaret Hug and the 16U team members: Megan Bozek, Katie Cachey, Jenna Dancewicz, Katie Daniels, Erika Greenen, Beth Hitchcock, Katie Iraci, Randi Jensen, Diana Karouzos, Kim Kowalczyk, Melissa Kravich, Brittany Lemke, Ashley Mileykovsky, Moira O’Connor, Jackie Otto, Hayley Williams, and Brianna Wolf.
