A Pelham hockey team travelled to Lefroy, Ontario (located south of Barrie) in February and came away with the tourney title. The three wins and two ties were especially gratifying, given that the Local League Under 15 Pelham Panthers had only nine skaters and a goalie.
Claire Kurek, the team manager, said that the Lefroy Lucky Puck Tournament included house league teams from Ontario.
“We were the underdogs, for sure,” said Kurek. “We have three U15 house league teams in Pelham this year, and usually we would have 11 skaters and plus our goalie.”
Kurek said that solid coaching was part of the recipe for success.
“The kids just love Kevin,” said Kurek. “He’s got a pretty strong background in hockey, having played in Europe. He’s a gentle giant, who’s really good with the players.”
She said that the team is a mix of Grade 8 and Grade 9 boys, who attend local schools such as E.L. Crossley, St. Alexander, A.K. Wigg, and Glynn A. Green.
“They all played great, but our goalie, Jovan Bobic, was fantastic in the tight games, and was definitely a massive part of the team’s success,” said Kurek.
“It was a great weekend for our players and parents to be together,” said coach Kevin Bolibruck. “Initially, we were unsure if we were going to be able to play at all, given that we were missing players. Everyone got a ton of ice time, and they were able to stay disciplined and give their best performances of the year to win the tournament. The victory was exciting, but the most rewarding part was seeing the players connect with each other, and play with tenacity and heart.”
