Mar 20, 2016 | twarren | 1779 views
Devils Cap Their Year at the OHL Cup 2016
The KKP Minor Midget team graciously accepted the nomination by the OHL
Cup Nomination Committee to be selected as one of 5 Wildcard selections
for OHL Cup 2016. The Young Gentlemen Devils were victorious through the group stage with the second best result going undefeated through 4 games. The Devils matched their Big Brother team in the 2014-2015 Minor Midgets who were also eliminated in overtime in the Quarter Finals.
The OHL Cup in its new format included 15 teams that won their ticket to the week-long event at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto (formerly Buckingham Arena) along with 5 winners of the Wildcard (win-and-you-are-in) games directly preceding the tournament's start.
The 10 total Wildcard entrants included teams from the OMHA, GTHL, and Alliance associations. The winners of those 5 games would go on to meet the teams in the Tournament including two selections from the United States and one team from Northern Ontario Hockey Alliance and one team from Hockey North Ontario.
The wildcard matches were randomly selected and the Devils drew the always dangerous Vaughan Kings in the first game of the day.
Wildcard Game
Without knowing if this would be the only game of the Young Gentlemen Devils OHL Cup the Devils came out firing on all cylinders and buried the Kings in goals. Scoring for the Devils in this one were Nathan Dunkley & Dawson Baker two goals and one assists. Other assists came from Joe Roy, Braydon Crowe and Devin Morrison. Evan Morrison secured the win for the good guys with a strong performance in net. With that win the Devils moved on to the tournament proper and started their quest for the Cup!
Round Robin
In the Round Robin play the Devils would face the best-in-province Toronto Marlies, the Northern Ontario Hockey All-Star Team, Total Package Hockey (US), and Southern Tier Admirals (OMHA-SCTA). All of these team knew how to win and it proved to be a great challenge for the KKP Minor Midgets.
2-1 Win over the Marlboros
The Devils fresh off of their hardest playoff series to date were not afraid of a competent opponent and played some of their most inspired hockey of the season. It was a battle from the start to finish but at the sound of the final buzzer it would be the Devils who stood victorious. Scoring for the Devils in this one were Matthew Sherwin and Nate Boomhower with assists from Nick Zarichny, Matthew Poole and Dawson Baker. Pierce turned aside numerous attacks by the Marlies' arsenal of snipers only allow a single mark against the Devils.
4-2 Win over NOHA
Evan Morrison braved the All-Stars from the North in the Devils second game of the round robin and like the game before it the Devils proved too much for their opponent. Although the team from the Northern Ontario Hockey Alliance were big and heavy-hitting the Devils stood fast and potted four goals to their opponents two. Scoring for the Devils were Dawson Baker and Matt Sherwin again both players scoring doubles. Assists were to Matthew Poole and Theo Citrullo.
4-4 Tie with Total Package Hockey
Every year at the OHL Cup there are two invited teams from the United States and TPH was one such team. What these invites lack in experience playing as a team they make up for in individual skill and size. TPH saw both of the Devils net-minders after a collision with Pierce Nelson left him shaken. Evan Morrison rose to the call and fulfilled the team's need with the spirit of teamwork that the Devils have displayed all season long. Morrison coming in cold made some key saves and allowed the Devils to come out with one point and a tie. Scoring the four goals for the Devils were Madoka Suzuki with two dazzlers and one each to Dawson Baker and Nick Zarichny. Assists were provided by Braydon Crowe (2), Joe Roy, Nathan Dunkley, Matt Sherwin, Brandon Grills, Hunter Leonard, and Dawson Baker.
2-0 win over Southern Tier
Going undefeated through three games which was an incredible feat in this very tough tournament the Devils just decided to win another one. Scoring for the Devils were Baker and Suzuki with assists to Zach Wheeler and Theo Citrullo. Pierce obtained the shutout and gave his team the second best record in the round robin of the OHL Cup 2016 with 7 out of a possible 8 points.
Quarter-Finals
The OHL Cup is the most demanding and difficult tournament of the Minor Midget calendar. To be selected and successful as a wildcard was a significant accomplishment however coming out of the round robin as the second best team at the tournament was nothing sort of spectacular! That being said every team moving on in the Quarter-Final were Champions of their respective divisions and were all formidable opponents. One such team the Junior Canadians of the GTHL were to be the opponent of the Devils in the Playoff Round.
3-2 Loss in Overtime to the Junior Canadians
The Devils delighted the crowds at the OHL Cup and among to the Scouts and observers there were many new fans of the Little-Team-That-Could. The game was a battle from start to finish and unfortunately for the Devils JRC proved to be too much on this day handing the Devils their first loss of the tournament and eliminating them from play. The format of the tournament is such that the Devils played a great six games of elimination hockey and saw this tournament as not only a testing ground for their resilience but a crowning achievement to a great year of Minor Midget hockey. Scoring for the Devils in this one were Nathan Dunkley (1G, 1A) and Dawson Baker (1G) and Braydon Crowe and Madoka Suzuki both adding helpers.
From this tournament the Devils end their year as a team and look forward to the year to come wherever they find themselves playing this great game of ice hockey.
Thank you to the entire #DevilNation and all the supporters of the KKP Minor Midget hockey team! To hear more news from the team stay tuned to quintedevils.com in the coming months.