Master Mechanic peewees get it done
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The referees credited Langton Master Mechanic Leafs' Ryan Jamieson with the game-winning goal in Sunday's Joe Callens Memorial Hockey Tournament peewee final.
Jamieson, however, credited teammate Jordan Vanacker who tipped his wrist shot from the right point past Dunnville's goalie to give Langton a 1-0 lead at 6:34 of the second period. Neither team scored the rest of the way and Langton held on to win the Joe Callens Memorial tournament championship, avenging a 4-1 loss to Dunnville in the round-robin.
Both Jamieson and Vanacker agreed getting the first goal Sunday evening played a huge role in the shutout victory.
"Quite a bit," said Vanacker.
"A lot," nodded Jamieson.
"It lowers the other team's confidence sometimes," said Vanacker.
Langton goalie Guerin Greenfield, who has five shutouts this season including two on the weekend, had to be at his best in the final 47 seconds when Dunnville was on a power play, pulling goalie Carson Rachar for a short six-on-four, two-man advantage.
"A lot of pressure – I thought they were going to score," Jamieson admitted.
"I just tell my defence to fire it out," said Greenfield. "We did pretty good – got it done."
A solid two-way, three-period effort with no defensive lapses Sunday evening that helped them 'get it done.'
"We've been trying to concentrate on that – every shift you've got to try your hardest," said Master Mechanic coach Dave Schoffro. "If you let up on one shift, that's when they're going to score on you."
Saturday afternoon's 4-1 loss to Dunnville came on the heels of a 4-3 win against Aylmer in the morning.
"We kind of lost our heads," said Schoffro, noting a string of six third-period penalties after Aylmer had scored late in the second to go up 3-1. "Just a lot of penalties. I think they (Dunnville) kind of got under our skin. We were short-handed three of the four goals yesterday."
The focus Sunday, in a 2-0 round-robin win over Thamesford and the rematch with Dunnville, was not taking bad penalties, he said. With only have 12 skaters (including one regular AP), and a goalie, penalties alter the lines, but they do have some flexibility in positioning.
"I have a couple kids who can play defence or forward," said Schoffro, who occasionally makes lineup changes when necessary. "And they're all good with it."
Sunday's gold-medal effort in their home tournament was the team's second championship of the season. Earlier, the Master Mechanic peewees triumphed in Monkton.
"Two tournaments we've won out of three," said Schoffro, noting the team has – so far – had limited success in Southern Counties.
"I think the teams have been closer calibre in the tournaments," said Vanacker. "And I think we get up more for tournaments."
"Especially our own tournament," Jamieson nodded.
OMHA DD playdowns start Sunday, Jan. 12, and the coaches would like to see that tournament-type hockey continue against Cayuga.
"We've got to take that into the OMHAs," said Schoffro, anticipating a tight best-of-five series against Cayuga. "We just tied them a couple weeks ago, and I think if we play like we did this weekend we should do okay."
"I try to play my best all the time," said Greenfield, looking forward to the Cayuga series.
Master Mechanic 4, Aylmer 3
Langton scoring: 1. Ryan Jamieson (Jordan Vanacker, Jeremy VanOoteghem); 2. Kyle Major (Erik Haines); 3. Cameron Schoffro (Blake Squires); 4. Ryan Jamieson.
Dunnville 4, Master Mechanic 1
Langton scoring: 1. Kyle Major (Cameron Schoffro)
Master Mechanic 2, Thamesford 0
Langton scoring: 1. Erik Haines (Kyle Major); 2. Kyle Major (Cameron Schoffro).
Championship Final
Master Mechanic 1, Dunnville 0
Langton scoring: 1. Jordan Vanacker (Ryan Jamieson)