KINCARDINE KINUCKS ATOM AE WOAA "B" CHAMPIONS - By Leanne Thomson, News, Atom AE Rep, 2015-2016 (Kincardine Minor Hockey Association)

This Team is part of the 2015-2016 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Feb 02, 2016 | Edwardsd | 1592 views
KINCARDINE KINUCKS ATOM AE WOAA "B" CHAMPIONS - By Leanne Thomson
     Congratulations to the Kincardine Atom AE Kinucks who are WOAA “B" Champs. Having finished the regular season at the top of their league, the team received a bye for the first round of OMHA playoffs. The  Kinucks then faced the Listowel Cyclones in a best of five series with the first game in Kincardine on January 7th. The Kinucks came out blazing, with Alex Colley-Aquino blasting it off the crossbar,from Jesse Page, in the first 8 seconds of the game. Colley-Aquino finished off a shot from Dylan Chinnick to make it 2-0 Kincardine.

       The pipes were clanging at the Listowel end – with at least 5 shots off the post in the first period, until Maddox Burgess sneaked one past the Listowel  goalie , assisted by Koby Palmer to make it 3-0 in the first period. But with all credit to Listowel, they held us scoreless in the second and answered back with two of their own to make it 3-2 at the end of the second. Early into the third Listowel tied it up to make it 3-3, and it seemed like the momentum had shifted in their favour. But with less than 30 seconds left in the third, Thomas Harmsworth blasted  a shot from the blue line  that hit the crossbar, but it was enough to keep it in deep, for the trio of Chinnick , Colley-Aquino assisting Jesse Page who wrapped it  around to score with less than 6 seconds left on the clock, for the 4-3 win.            
       The next game on January 30, in Listowel, was another nail biter, with both defensive ends  shutting down the offense in the first period. Listowel opened the scoring in the second period. This time it was Chinnick , finishing off the rebound from  Page and  Colley-Aquino to tie it up in the second period for a 1-1 game. The third period seemed to go on forever, until Colley-Aquino found Charlie Hall-Elwood in front of the net, to snipe in the winning goal, with four minutes on the clock.  Our defencemen Dylan Garneau, Murray Collins, Thomas Harmsworth and Spencer Humble kept a lid on the rushes from Listowel and Jack Anderson nailed the pipes down. Listowel never got a chance to pull their goalie, as the team cycled the puck perfectly to tie it down behind the Listowel net, for the 2-1 win, bringing the next game back to Kincardine, on January 31.            
     Even though they were down 2-0 in a best of 5 series, Listowel fought hard in the third game in Kincardine.Their defence fought hard to keep the boys at bay until Evan Graham opened the scoring, assisted by Maddox Burgess with less than 24 seconds in the second period, to push the Kinucks to a 1-0 lead. But Listowel wasted no time in the third to put a point up on the board. The fans had to check their pulses , when Listowel went ahead in the third with 8 minutes remaining. But the Kinucks did not quit with Blake Edwards back checking hard preventing any further Listowel points from reaching the board.  It was Maddox Burgess taking the pass from Thomas Harmsworth to snipe it in off the post, at the three minute mark, to tie it up. The momentum seemed to be shifting back to Listowel, as they threw themselves on the ice to block shots and passes, but our defence again shut down the Listowel breakouts. The game went on to overtime, tied at 2-2. Listowel pressed hard into our end, but on a quick breakout less than 30 seconds into overtime,with Graham and Burgess setting up one of our hard working centres; Kole McCormick brought it home for the team, sniping it past the Listowel goalie. The hockey parents were proud to see the boys come from behind to take it 3-2  to sweep the best of 5 series. Our stellar bench proved themselves again, as they kept the Listowel coaches on their toes throughout all three closely matched games, which could have gone either way. These Atom AE Kinucks continue on in the OMHA quarter final playoffs, waiting to hear if we play Collingwood or Oro, as well as the WOAA playoffs. Go Kinucks!