PARIS ON – The 3rd Annual Dreamcatcher Men’s Ice Hockey no body contact Tournament, held last weekend at the Brant Sports Complex in Paris, Ontario, was won, for the third year straight, by the NOVC Wildcats from the Haldimand area.
The tournament hosted 10 teams from throughout Ontario including the second place Wiky T-birds. The Six Nations Silverhawks and the T-birds provided what many called the best game of the entire tournament in the semi-final.
Wiki’s Trent Hope scored first from Jason Peltier but Silverhawks’ Kyle Gee answered from Dwayne Doxtator. Hope notched his stick a second time with 1:50 remaining in the first period to restore the Wiki lead, but Six Nations evened it up again with Rob Monteforte scoring with 54 seconds remaining with Stu Johnson assisting.
Wiki came out strong in the second period with Mike Bundy adding a goal to put them ahead 3-2 with one period left.
Travis Anderson evened the score early in the third, while Tim Porter kept the Wiki shooters frustrated. The third period ended tied at 3-3 sending and it was now going into overtime, but neither side could net that deciding goal in the 15-minute extra frame. That brought it down to a shootout, which Wiki’s Trent Hope won with his third of the game to eliminate the pesky Silverhawks and move on to the final game.
The Wiki T-birds had to get right back on the ice to face the rested Wildcats for the championship. They kept pace with the Wildcats in the first period which ended in a 1-1 tie thanks to goals scored by Wildcat’s Shane Baylis and Wiki’s Jason Pentier, but they had nothing left in the tank as the Wildcats began to take over in the second period and never looked back to win it 6-1 with Wildcats goals scored by Phil Bethune, Cory Bethune, Chase Brunton, Craig Long and Jamie Baird.
“I am very pleased with how the tournament went,” said organizer Josh Powless. “There was a lot of talent on the ice and some very fast games, especially as the tournament went on.
Being an NBC tournament it made for some fast moving and exciting playmaking all weekend.
Organizers and teams were also happy with the Brant facility and the help they got from the arena staff.
“It’s our second year there and we are very pleased with the quality and friendliness of the arena staff,” says Powless, who intendeds to keep the fourth annual tournament in the same location next year.
He also extended thanks to the volunteers and referees who kept the schedule on time, and a positive environment.
The Wildcats took the $5,000 first place prize with $1,000 going to the Wiky T-birds, which was donated to Manitoulin youth hockey.
Jesse Peltier helped get the T-Birds restarted after a five-year hiatus after the older guys who used to play for the T-Birds looked to him to get the team going again. He took up the challenge, not for himself, but to help the youth of his community.
“The young people look up to us as I looked up to my elders,” said Peltier following the game.
The T-Birds are not just a hockey team. They go to tournaments to show a good example to the community and not to go just to party and drink.
“We are playing to help the cause,” says Peltier.
Throughout the year they have many fundraising events such as bingo, scratch cards and barbecues to raise funds for youth sports. This year they hope to host a golf tournament, which everyone is welcome to participate in.
“It’s good to travel and see what lies beyond the bridge at Manitoulin Island,” Peltier adds.
The second place purse of $1,000 will go to fund up to four kids to play minor hockey this September.
The Dreamcatcher Foundation helps out a lot at Wikwemikong and pretty well every reserve in Ontario and the T-Birds are happy to give a little back. They will be back later this summer for the All Ontario Native Fastball Championship at Six Nations.
