U11 GOB Blues capture Northumberland Silverstick Regional

COBOURG - Less than a year removed from a one-win regular season, and after going winless at the 2021 Northumberland Silverstick Regional as a U10 squad,  the U11 GOB Blues returned to the event and captured the title after a thrilling, 3-2, overtime win against Whitby.

The Blues met Whitby in the opening game of the tournament and played to a 2-2 draw before blanking Kingston, 2-0, and tying a feisty Belleville squad, 2-2, to finish second in the pool setting the stage for a clash with Whitby in Sunday’s final.

A well-rested Blues squad who attended the Belleville Senators/Laval Rocket AHL game the night before came out firing with Blake Hughes putting the Blues up early before Odin Arnold went coast-to-coast on a brilliant rush to open the third and give kids from the nation’s capital a two-goal lead. No lead is safe however, especially when 10-year-olds are involved, and Whitby pulled within one shortly thereafter and potted the equalizer with just over eight minutes left.

Both sides traded chances for the remainder of the period and the Blues killed off a late penalty that trickled into overtime before play was reduced to 3-on-3.

With 3:23 left in the first overtime, Blake Hughes tucked in a wrap around on the Whitby goaltender for his second marker of the game, fourth in as many tournament games and most importantly the overtime winner as Blues players flooded the ice with sticks and gloves flying in the air to celebrate.

After post game ceremonies, including on ice medal and banner presentations, the Blues retreated to the dressing where “We are the champions” bellowed out of Coach Colin Symonds’s loud speaker with sweaty players singing and congratulating one another with the occasional “WE’RE BLUE, WE’RE WHITE, WE’RE DYNAMITE” Blues battlecry making an appearance.

Congratulations to the U11 Blues parents, families, coaches and staff, but mostly congrats to the players who represented the Blues organization very well on and off the ice, competed exceptionally hard and came away Silverstick CHAMPIONS!