Devin Kaplan celebrates his GWG Friday
Midwest celebrates
At 5:45 pm on Friday, Team Canada had amassed a 24-7 record against Team USA in The Show...the Win to Loss ratio was getting out of hand. Like a bad dream, the Americans were losing in all fashions. Team USA lost a heartbreaker to Atlantic Provinces in the morning 5-4 after a mystery no-call caused a break for the Atlantics. Great Plains had 59 shots on James Venne and had only one goal in a 3-1 loss to Team Canada. The list of losses was longer than the waiting time at a Canadien doctor's office.
But at 5:45, the fortunes and bounces began to change. Southeast score three straight to beat Quebec 5-2. Seamus Casey stayed hot as a Florida beach in July netting two goals...Braxton Powers added a goal and an assist. The tides really turned when Devin Kaplan went into beast mode for the Mid Atlantic team. He had a goal and three assists, including the game winner with 1:31 left in the game to lift his team to a 5-4 win over BC in an exciting back and forth game.
In the night cap games, Midwest and Great Plains did the unthinkable...they knocked off two previously unbeaten teams, Team Canada and Alberta in a matter of 90 minutes to put Ontario Black in the driver's seat on the Canadien side of the tournament and muddy the waters on the American side.
First, Troy Tollefson had 2G/1A for Midwest including a game clinching empty net goal that set off loud cheers from all over Southern Wisconsin and Illinois as they beat Team Canada 3-1 to put themselves in the middle of the mud in the American race to the Championship.
Then, Great Plains who ran into a hot goalie in the morning and lost, returned the favor against Alberta. Ben Dardis faced 54 shots stopping 52 to lift his squad into the mud pie. Great Plains scored three goals in two minutes including the Game Winner by Nick Mikan on a nifty wrister from the slot.
Jaden Dyke with the GWG in OT
Before you knew it the Canadiens had mowed through the Americans like a box of Tim Horton's doughnuts on Friday winning nine of the first ten games Friday. Based on comparative scores and how much the Canadiens had to play for Friday night, many thought it could have been 13 of 14. Ontario Black won both of their games Friday. Mick Thompson had a Hatty for the Black in their 7-1 win over Southeast and Peter Kioussis and Cam Arnott each had 2G/1A in their win over Team USA 7-2.
Team Atlantic beat Team USA in an OT thriller, Jaden Dyke punched home a rebound in the first OT. With a 5-2 win over West in the afternoon they kept their slim hopes alive for The Show title.
Ontario Red is quietly waiting in second place after two nice wins Saturday. Coach Richard Power does a nice job with this talented bunch from Ontario. They beat West 6-3 in the morning on a Hatty by Jordan Karafile and two game clinchers by Adam Fantilli. And, in the afternoon Fantilli got into the act a few more times netting 2G/1A to move their record to 4-0-1.
James Venne from Team Canada
Adam Fantilli, Ontario Red - a point producing machine for the red...is always around the puck and is nearly impossible to knock off the puck when he gets it.
Mick Thompson, Ontario Black - fun player to watch, has such a keen sense of the game it is almost as if he plays with a crystal ball in his helmet. Had a Hatty Friday in their win over SE.
Ben Dardis, Great Plains - made 52 saves to help his team into title contention, show great skill controlling rebounds and covering the puck in tight spots.
Devin Kaplan, Mid Atlantic - he is hard to miss on the ice...he is a bigger player (5 foot 6, 130 lbs.) but he plays like a small bulldog. Always on the puck and constantly extending the patience of the other team's defense.
James Venne, Team Canada - had the performance of the tournament in the nets. Made unbelievable save after unbelievable save, including two 2-0 breaks, one at the buzzer to end the second to keep the score 3-1.
Jaden Dyke, Atlantic Provinces - great skater who has a very high hockey IQ...makes good plays out of bad all the time.
View a full Photo Gallery of photos taken Friday by staff photographers Alex Connover and Tony Scott.
Ex NHLer Curtis Brown teaching the game to his team (West)