U11s edged out by lincoln to fall just shy of knockout stage

Two  teams with identical records both entered with the same goal: win and move on. Both teams knew they'd be in for a hard fought contest and it certainly was that. Not only were the records identical, but so was the pace of play. It wasn't until some minor penalties resulted in 4 on 4 lacrosse that Lincoln found the open floor to manufacture a goal and take the lead. The Rockhounds would go on to take a major penalty just before the end of the 1st setting them on the defensive to start the second. The Rockhounds penalty kill would be further strained with another minor to go down 5 on 3, but the defenders and goalie Wyatt Williams stood tall. The effort did tax the Rockhounds though as before they could settle back into their game plan the Redcoats managed to score a goal and widen their lead to 2. Not to be deterred, the Rockhounds pushed back and their pressure resulted in a powperplay opportunity that Cedric Poulin would strike on to cut the lead in half. Entering the final frame Sudbury knew the next goal was crucial and their pressure paid off as Jarrett Marshall tied the game with 12 minutes to play. The fans were on the edge of their seats the rest of the way, but it was the Redcoats who would capitalize on a crosschecking penalty to score the decisive goal and punch their ticket to the next round. As they had all year, the Rockhounds fought to the last whistle and go home knowing they gave it their all.

U11s Drop Decision to ThunderHawks

Looking to build off their opening victory, the Rockhounds jumped on the board early vs. Niagara with Kasen Adair scoring just 30 seconds into the game. The Thunderhawks would not be rocked though as they endured Sudbury's opening push and tied the game 3 minutes later. Adair would counter for the Rockhounds less than a minute later to restore the lead, but Niagara would score the next two and enter the intermission with a 3-2 lead. The teams traded chances to start the second, but only the Thunderhawks would find the back of the net scoring three times to take a commanding 6-2 lead into the 3rd. Niagara would score one more, which would prove to be the game winner before the Rockhounds pushed back with goals from Adair to complete the hattrick, two from Jarrett Marshall and one from Clark Montgomery to make things interesting. In the end, the Thunderhawks would hang on for a 9-6 victory. With the loss, the Rockhounds dropped to 3rd in the group setting up a decisive tilt in the morning vs. Lincoln to determine which of the two team moves on to the knockout stage alongside Niagara.

U11s OPen with Win over West Grey

The last Sudbury squad to start their provincials got off to a great start as they opened their round robin play vs. West Grey. Oliver Brunetti & Karson Ferguson notched 2 goals for the Rockhounds in the opening frame, including a tally with 22 seconds left to play to take the early lead. This momentum continued in the second where Laughlin Hagen scored to extend the lead to 3-0 while Wyatt Williams stood on his head and the defense continued to stymie the Rampage attack. Not giving up, the Rampage finally broke through early in the third, but it wasn't enough to put the Rockhounds on their heels as they would answer back with 2 of their own from Kasen Adair. The Rampage would go on to score another goal before Clark Montgomery scored with 28 seconds remaining in the game to give the Rockhounds a 6-2 victory and an early group lead. The team will take on the Niagara Thunderhawks this evening.

U22s Edge Brampton in Nail Biter

The road to the finals saw Brampton standing in the Rockhounds way. The game was expected to be close, but that was truly an understatement. With Kiaus Lalonde tending the twine and the defense in sync, the Rockhounds made it difficult for Brampton to get any sustained pressure. The Excelsiors put up just as much of an effort and the two teams were scoreless through the first period. The second started out much the same way and it wasn't until Brampton was able to captialize on a Daniel Czerwinski penalty with five minutes left in the frame that the deadlock was broken. Trailing by one in the third, Lalonde fed the transition breakout pass to Kai D'Amour who potted the equalizer with 8 minutes left in the game. The Rockhounds' continued pressure ended up with Brampton getting into some penalty trouble. The Sudbury crew made full use of a 2 man advantage as Jacob Hickerson handcuffed the Brampton goalie for a goal that just trickled over the line. The Rockhounds would shut the door the rest of the way to claim their spot in the title game with a 2-1 victory. The Rockhounds will take on Akwesasne in a rematch after they knocked off Newmarket in the other semifinal.

U22s Call Their Shot vs. Akwesasne

Needing a tie to move on, the Rockhounds could have played a safe game vs. the Storm to send themselves into the knock out stage, but the U22s decided to punch their ticket in style. An even contest through the opening frame a late powerplay gave Cody Wahl a chance to capitalize and send the Rockhounds into the break with a 1-0 lead. Alex Hachez would score 7 seconds into the 2nd to widen the lead before Akwesasne turned up the pressure. The Storm would score on a powerplay midway through the frame to close the game and score 3 straight to take a 4-2 lead midway through the 3rd. Not backing down, the Rockhounds started the comeback trail with Ben Harris scoring with 6 minutes remaining and Jacob Hickerson tying the game with just over two minutes to play. While most teams would be content riding out the game to get to the next round, the Rockhounds had other plans. Pulling their goalie with seconds left on the clock, Sudbury quickly relayed the ball up the floor and into the stick of Ashton Eadie-Chartrand who scored with one second left on the clock to give the Rockhounds the win and the group. With this momentous victory the Rockhounds will take on Brampton in the morning with a spot in the finals on the line.

U22s Make Statement vs. Orangeville

Xavier Esquimax-Osawamick started things off for the Rockhounds and Jacob Barney followed suit with a powerplay marker to give Sudbury an early 2-0 lead in their second round robin game.  Orangeville finally solved Kiaus Lalonde on a powerplay midway through the period before Caden McDonald restored the 2 goal lead giving the Rockhounds a 3-1 edge heading into the intermission. The second period saw the teams exchange goals as Ben Harris potted a short handed goal while Sudbury was killing off a pair of majors incurred by Keegan Esquimax-Osawamick that would go on to become the eventual game winner. Kiaus Lalonde shut the door the rest of the way while Jacob Hickerson, Mason Lachance and Jacod Barney rounded out the scoring as the Rockhounds took the game 7-3. With the win the U22s control their own destiny as a win against Akwesasne would assure them top spot in the group.

U22s open with a stalemate vs. Hamilton

Early game jitters took effect for the Rockhounds as they fell behind Hamilton just 45 seconds into their opening contest. The team course corrected and settled down defensively before Hamilton would tack on another goal with 8 seconds left in the period to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission. Starting the period short handed did little to sway the Rockhounds as they came flying out of the gates in the second frame with Ben Harris scoring a short handed goal before Jack Gouchie and Ashton Eadie-Chartrand scored to give Sudbury the lead. Playing from behind for the first time, Hamilton responded quickly tying the game up after being down for just over a minute. Sudbury would regain the lead on a goal by Xavier Esquimax-Osawamick with 3 minutes to go in the period to send the Rockhounds into the final frame with a 4-3 lead. While the Rockhounds tried to weather Bengals push, Hamilton found a way to tie the game at the 11:44 mark setting up an exciting finish to the game. Alex Hachez would score with just under 9 minutes left to give the Rockhounds the lead and from there the Rockhounds played shutdown lacrosse led by the goaltending of Mason Robertson. It looked like the Rockhounds would hang on for the victory, but a late check from behind penalty to Jacob Barney gave Hamilton a power play opportunity to close out the game which they converted on with 53 seconds left to end the game in a 5-5 tie. The U22s are back at it in the morning vs. the ever tough Orangeville Northmen. 

U13s Finish on a winning Note

Looking to take a page from the U15s, the U13 squad was playing North Perth in their final game and looked to end their season on a winning note while avenging their loss the day before. It would be North Perth who would hit the scoresheet first though with a goal just under 3 minutes into the game. This lit a fire under the Rockhounds though as they exploded in an offensive outburst the likes of which the team hadn't seen all year. Scoring 6 goals before the end of the fram to take a commanding 6-1 lead into the second. North Perth regrouped and refocussed chipping away at the Sudbury lead in the second making it as close as 6-5 before Sudbury would score the eventual winner with 25 seconds left to play in the frame. The two teams would score a goal each in the third, but the Rockhounds would hang on to close out their season with an 8-6 victory.

U15s Go out with Win Over North PErth

Eliminated from knockout stage contention, the Rockhounds looked to finish their season on strong note and they did just that. Taking on a North Perth team who was also searching for their first win of the festival, the Rockhounds came out flying with Malik Jakubo scoring under a minute into the contest. The Outlaws founds a way to solve goalie Damien Dell 4 minutes into the contest, but that is as close as they would get as Jakubo scored again and Levi Blouin added a tally to give the Rockhounds a 3-1 lead heading into the second period. In the 2nd frame, Jakubo scored two more, including the eventual game winner to complete the hattrick and would score again in the 3rd to give him a 5 goal game as the Rockhounds went out on a winning note in a 6-3 final.

U13s Under Siege vs. Midland

Looking to avenge their festival opening loss, Midland put in a titanic effort against Sudbury to put them in the driver's seat as group play continued. Scoring just 58 seconds into the contest was all the Titans needed as the Rockhounds were unable to solve the defensive puzzle and ran into significant penalty trouble allowing Midland to take an 11-0 victory. Eliminated from knockout stage contention, the U13s will look to finish on a high note taking on North Perth later on today.

U15s in back and forth tilt vs. Pelham

Shaking off the earlier loss the U15s took on Pelham in their second game of the round robin. Needing a victory to keep their knockout stage hopes alive, the Rockhounds didn't let an early Pelham goal deter them as Jackson Mead and Levi Blouin scored to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Malik Jakubo scored 2 goals to widen the margin in the 2nd before Pelham answered back with 3 minutes left to give the Rockhounds a 4-2 lead heading into the 3rd. The Raiders scored early to cut the lead to 1 and tied the game up with 6 minutes to play to set up an exciting finish. Mead and Jakubo scored in quick succession to restore the Rockhounds 2 goal lead, but with under 2 minutes to play the Raiders pushed hard scoring 3 straight goals, including the game winner with 44 seconds left to play. The loss dropped the Rockhounds to 0-2 dashing their chances of advancing. They'll finish out their provincials tomorrow morning vs. North Perth.

U13s undone by 2nd period against North PErth

Following up on their victory in the morning, it looked like the U13s would carry over the momentum into their second game vs. North Perth. Once again Sudbury managed to grab the lead with a goal that came with 5 minutes left in the first. Not to be put on their heels the Outlaws answered back just over a minute later to tie the game headed into the intermission. That goal seemed to energize the opposition as they came out flying for 6 unaswered goals in the 2nd to take a 7-1 lead. The Rockhounds readjusted in the 3rd scoring a pair of powerplay goals and limiting the North Perth to one final tally to make the final 8-3. The Rockhounds will look to carry on their 3rd period play as they take on Midland and North Perth again tomorrow with a spot in the knockout stage on the line.

U15s cooled off by A Mimico Hot Start

1:15 into the game the Mountaineers got on the board and set the Rockhounds back on their heels. An early powerplay looked to right the ship, but Mimico found a way to score on the PK and added one more before Malik Jakubo finally answered for the Rockhounds to cut the deficit to 3-1. It looked like momentum was finally turning for the U13s, but a goal with 3 seconds left in the period put a damper on the comeback hopes. Mimico came out with 3 unanswered goals to start the 2nd before Jakubo scored his second on a powerplay. The Mountaineers would tack on one more to take the opening game 8-2.

U13s put the Pieces together vs. Midland

The U13s opened up provincial play after a string of tough losses. They learned from all the defeats though and put together their best effort of the season against the Midland Titans. Both teams opened with tight checking and strong goaltending but with just over 5 minutes to play the Titans took a high sticking major that sent the Rockhounds to the powerplay. It looked like the Titans would kill off the major but with 46 seconds left in the period and 33 seconds left in the Powerplay the Rockhounds notched the first goal. Special teams would follow up in the second period with another powerplay goal halfway through the frame. The Titans answered with just over 3 minutes left to play in the period, but that was as close as they would get as the Rockhounds held on to win their opener in a 2-1 nail biter.

U22s Have tight game vs. Six Nations

A tough draw for the knockout stage, the Rockhounds were looking to secure a spot in the finals by playing the ever tough Six Nations. Both teams were playing inspired defense, so while it was pouring outside the arena, there were no leaks in net as the teams battled through a scoreless first period. Things looked much the same in the second as the teams traded powerplay chances, but the goalies stood tall. It wasn't until the final minute when Six Nations found a way to squeak one through Kiaus Lalonde for the first goal of the game. The Rockhounds finally broke through with 12 minutes left in the game on a rush play by Joe Gouchie who scooped up an errant pass and went bursting up the floor, out muscling the lone defender to score short side. Forutne turned against the Rockhounds though as with 5 minutes left to play, after Sudbury thought they had taken the lead, the goal was called back on a crease violation and Six Nations took the ball and scored on a transition play to take the 2-1 lead. Six nations would go on to pot another with 3:20 left to seal a 3-1 victory.

U22s Take Must Win Game vs. Clarington

Coming off their morning win, the Rockhounds were looking to secure a spot in the knockout stage by taking on Clarington. Mason Robertson was standing tall in the first period stopping every shot he faced including a penalty shot, but unfortunately he tweaked his leg and exited the contest with a lower body injury. Kiaus Lalonde came into the game and didn't miss a beat for the tandem as the Rockhounds continued to baffle the Clarington offense. Clarington seemed to have every answer for Sudbury too, until Jacob Hickerson finally broke through for the Rockhounds with 3:40 to play in the second. Joe and Jack Gouchie each scored for the Rockhounds before Clarington finally got on the board with 4 minutes left to play, but it was too little too late as the Rockhounds punched their ticket with a 3-1 win.

U22s Bounce Back vs. Fort Erie

Fort Erie opened the scoring midway through the first, but that was all that was needed to wake up the Rockhounds offense. With a solo effort on a penalty kill Blake Ramalho powered through the Fort Erie defense and scored the equalizer. The Rockhounds would then take the lead off a pick and roll play that that allowed Ashton Eadie-Chartrand a lane to the net with 2 minutes left in the frame. For good measure Jacob Barney scored with 20 seconds left in the period as the Rockhounds took a 3-1 lead to the intermission. Jack Gouchie, Ben Harris and Jacob Barney would score in quick succession in the 2nd before Jacob Barney would complete the hattrick with 30 seconds left in the period to give the Rockhoudns a commanding 7-1 lead. Kiaus Lalonde shut the door while Jacob Hickerson, Jack Gouchie scored and Jacob Barney added his fourth of the game to seal a 10-1 victory. The Rockhounds will play again at 3pm looking to improve their chances to move on.

U22s OPen Conradi-Engemann vs. Guelph

Opening up the Conradi-Engemann tournament late friday night against Guelph. The U22s looked to carry over their strong performance from Gloucester and the game was physical from the get go. Guelph managed to breakthrough on a goal that just trickled over the line partway through the 1st. Guelph then extended their lead with a powerplay goal with just over 3 minutes to go after Keegan Esquimaux-Osawamick headed to the box for slashing. The strong defense for both teams picked up again to start the 2nd before Guelph tacked on a 3rd goal 6 minutes into the frame and added another with with 2 minutes left to take a 4-0 lead into the final frame. The Rockhounds would breakthrough on transition 3 minutes into the 3rd on a goal by Daniel Czerwinski assisted by Xavier Esquimax-Osawamick and Jacob Hickerson. Unfortunately that was as close as they would get as the Rockhounds dropped their opener 4-1. They're back at it tomorrow morning at 10am against Fort Erie.

U22s Final a Rematch

Looking to avenge their round robin loss the U22s took on host Gloucester in the championship final. The Rockhounds took the early lead thanks to a marker from Ben Harris, but the second period saw Gloucester find the cracks in the Rockhounds armor as they potted 4 straight goals to take over the lead. Jack Gouchie answered for the Rockhounds as they tried to fight back into the game, but the Griffins managed to score another to seal a 5-2 victory. The U22s finished with a well earned silver.

U22s into the final

When you have a formula that works, you stick with it. The Rockhounds put Kiaus Lalonde between the pipes against the Storm in their rematch hoping that he could continue to baffle the Storm offense and for the first period that's exactly what happened. Goals by Cody Wahl and Xavier Esquimax-Osawamick staked the Rockhounds out to a 2-0 lead and Jacob Barney scored another early in the 2nd, before the Storm finally found a way to breakthrough by scoring 2 of their own in just over 1:30 of play. The momentum wouldn't be sustained however as Kai D'Amour scored to close out the period and restore Sudbury's 2 goal lead.  While the Storm tried to battle back in the 3rd, Alex Hachez and Keegan Esquimaux-Osawamick had other ideas scoring to provide the insurance the Rockhounds needed as they only allowed one more Storm goal on route to booking their spot in the championship game with a 6-3 victory. They'll take on the Gloucester Griffins for gold at 3:30.

U11s In another close one vs. Akwesasne

The Storm were geared up to play the Rockhounds and avenge their round robin loss. The two teams picked up right where they left off in a tightly contested contest that saw no goals scored during the first period. Akwesasne took a penalty with just over a minute to go in the 1st, but rather than come out on their heels, the Storm went on the offensive scoring a shorthanded tally just under a minute into the 2nd to take the lead. Oliver Brunetti answered back for the Rockhounds just two minutes later to even the score. That goal refocused the Storm as they potted the next 3 to take a 4-1 lead. Not ones to give up the Rockhounds battled hard causing the Storm to take 6 penalties in the final frame as they tried to contain their opposition. Kaesen Adair scored a powerplay goal halfway through the frame to cut the lead in half, but the Rockhounds were stymied by the Storm's goaltender until Adair potted another with 13 seconds left in the game. Unfortunately it was too little too late as the Rockhounds dropped a heartbreaker 4-3 ending their tournament just shy of the finals.

U11s Get #2 Seed

Facing a host Griffins team who had run into some trouble with Barrie and Uxbridge in their previous two games, the U11s were looking to lock up first place in the group and book a spot in tomorrow's early semi final. The Rockhounds scored just 20 seconds into the game and never looked back as they cruised to a 20-1 final. Unfortunately they lost on the tie break to the Barrie Bombers which set up a rematch against Akwesasne in the semis.

U22s In Battle of Undefeated Teams

The U22s staked their perfect record against that of the host Griffins in their final round robin game. The game was close through the first with the Griffins taking the early lead and tacking on 4 more before Alex Hachez responded with one for the Rockhounds. While Sudbury would manage to score another one, the Griffins were too much in this game handing the Rockhounds a 9-2 loss and sealing 1st place in the round robin. With a 2nd place finish, the Rockhounds will look to win their way to the finals tomorrow taking on either Akwesasne or West Grey in the semis.

U15s Have no answer for Nepean

Trying to get in the win column the U15s were taking on a Nepean team that had just dropped a heartbreaker to Mimico in their previous game. Instead of reeling from their loss though, the Knights came out firing and while the Rockhounds weathered an early fury, once the Knights broke through at the 9 minute mark, they just kept coming. Sudbury couldn't break through their defenses and ended up on the wrong side of an 11-0 loss.

U13s start strong Against Griffins

Coming off two losses to open the tournament, the U13s looked to rebound against the tournament host Griffins. In a tightly contested contest for the first half of the opening frame, the Rockhounds broke through at the 8:31 minute mark to take the lead and potted another one just over a minute later to make it 2-0. The Griffins remained steadfast though and chipped away to tie the game at 2 heading into the second. In the intermission the Griffins found another gear as they came out flying to score the eventual game winner just over a minute into the frame, the first of 5 they would score to stake themselves out to a big lead. The Rockhounds reeled in the Griffins offense slightly in the third, but two short handed goals allowed the Griffins to claim an 11-2 victory.

U15s Ambushed by Griffins

Scoring just over a minute into the game the Griffins got off to a hot start, but the Koda Peltier answered for the Rockhounds just 40 seconds later to tie the game at 1. While it looked like the game would go back and forth, the Griffins seemed to find the answer for Sudbury's attack scoring 4 straight goals to finish up the frame taking a 5-1 lead. Malik Jakubo and Jackson Mead scored for the Rockhounds in the 2nd as they tightened up the defense and closed the Griffins lead to 2, but the Griffins attack proved too much in the 3rd as they scored 4 goals to Sudbury's 1 (scored by Jackson Mead) on route to a 10-4 victory.

U22s Survive the Storm Surge

The duo of Jacob Barney and Ben Harris connected on the first two goals of the game for the Rockhounds as they erased the deficit caused by a shorthanded tally by the Storm before the midway point. Special teams then took over as Ashton Eadie-Chartrand scored a poweplay marker and then Joe Gouchie scored a short handed tally with just over a minute left to seal the game 4-1 for the Rockhounds in a game where Kiaus Lalonde's goaltending stopped the Storm in their tracks.

U13s battle the Storm

From the opening whistle the Rockhounds played tough defense against the strong Akwesasne team, limiting them to 2 goals in the opening frame. Just like their namesake though, the storm were unrelenting and poured on 3 more in the second including a shorthanded tally to take a commanding lead. Sudbury managed to break the shutout bid with 10 to go in the final frame before tempers flared resulting in offsetting major penalties, but the Storm proved to be too much on this day taking the game 9-1.

U11s Survive the Storm

A hot start by the Rockhounds was what they needed to put the Akwesasne Storm on their heels. Oliver Brunetti scoring just under two minutes into the first the Rockhounds had the Storm playing catch up all game. While the Storm tied it up 2 minutes later the Rockhounds regained the lead on a powerplay goal by Karson Ferguson with 5 minutes to go in the first and Arlo Angus scored the eventual game winner to start the second period. The Storm made it interesting by closing the gap to 3-2 midway through the frame, but they couldn't beat the wall that was Wyatt Williams to score the equalizer. The Rockhounds added the insurance marker with Arlo Angus scoring with 45 seconds left in the game to seal the 4-2 victory and move to 2-0 on the tournament.

U11s make a statement in the opener

It took just over 7 minutes of play before Clark Montgomery found the back of the net ona shorthanded tally to open the floodgates for the Rockhounds in the opening game of their tournament. Montgomery would go on to complete the hattrick while Kaesen Adair, Cedric Poulin, Karson Ferguson and Arlo Angus all had 2 goal nights. It looked like a shutout for Wyatt Williams, but the never quit attitude of Kahnawake was on display as they managed to break up the bid with 6:58 left. Daxton Wabano and Keenan Joyce rounded out the scoring for an emphatic 15-1 win. The Rockhounds will look to continue their winning ways tomorrow vs. the Awkesasne storm.

U15s In tough vs. Whitby

The Rockhounds were in for a challenge in their opening game taking on the always powerful Whitby Warriors in their tournament opener. The pressure was on early as Whitby jumped out to a commanding 4-0 lead before Jackson Mead responded for the Rockhounds near the midway point of the 2nd. He would go on to add another and Malik Jakubo would join in on the scoring to cut the deficit to 6-3, but Whitby would score with 10 seconds remaining in the second frame and explode for 6 more in the third on route to a 13-4 victory. Koda Peltier tallied the 4th marker for the Rockhounds who play their next game tomorrow vs. the host Griffins.

U22s open with rematch vs. West Grey

Playing the team the Rockhounds opened the Stayner tournament against, both the Rockhounds and the Rampage knew they were in for a battle. Picking up on the nuances of each team from their first match, the teams were evenly matched trading goals during the first two periods ending up in a 3-3 tie after 2 on goals by Alex Hachez, Jack Gouchie and Max Vendette. Backed by the goaltending of Mason Robertson, the Rockhounds took control in the deciding frame with a goal by Blake Ramalho and 2 by Ben Harris, including the game winner as they managed to edge the Rampage 6-4 to take their tournament opener. The Rockhounds will look to keep the momentum going tomorrow  vs. the Awkesasne storm.

U13s open up vs. Nepean

In what looked to be a defensive battle, the U13s opened up strong against Nepean in their first game. The hard checking defense and tight goaltending held the game scoreless through the first period of play. Motivated, the Rockhounds came out flying in second scoring the game's opening goal just 17 seconds into the period. Nepean managed to get the equalizer a few minutes later and then some penalty trouble allowed the Knights to capitalize scoring what would be the eventual game winner halfway through the frame. The Rockhounds tallied another goal in the third, but Nepean managed to hang on for a 7-2 victory. The Rockhounds look to rebound tomorrow vs. the host Griffins.

U11s have a rematch for the Ages

Suffering their only loss in the tournament to Orillia, a rematch seemed inevitable and it certainly lived up to expectations. The Kings had trouble containing the pressure that the Rockhounds put on and ran into penalty trouble early and often. The Rockhounds took the lead just after the expiry of the first powerplay on a goal by Kaesen Adair. The home side answered back with a powerplay tally to knot the game at 1 with two minutes to go in the period. Powerplay goals to start the second by Clark Montgomery & Cedric Poulin staked the Rockhounds out to a 3-1 lead but the resilient Kings chipped away and tied the game at 3 to set up an Exciting third period.

Hector Medland scored on the powerplay with 10:52 to go in the third and the Rockhounds tightened up their defense and goaltending to try and close out the game. Unfortunately the Kings managed to capitalize on a turnover to score a shorthanded tally with two minutes remaining in the 3rd to send the game to overtime.

In a finish that had the fans of both teams on the edge of their seats, the teams traded chances with big saves being made at both ends and Wyatt Williams providing a solid wall for the Rockhounds. Something had to give though and Orillia managed to squeak in the game winner with 5 minutes left in the frame to secure the gold.

It was a hard fought silver for the Rockhounds who displayed tremendous heart and determination. While the end result may not have been what they wanted, they left an indelible mark on the tournament that teams won't soon forget.

U13s finish strong vs. Owen Sound

After a tough weekend of games the U13 Rockhounds saved their best for last when they took on Owen Sound in the 7th vs. 8th place game to conclude the tournament. Scoring early in the first period to open things up, the Rockhounds goal was answered by Owen Sound 4 minutes later to knot the game at 1. Sudbury regained the lead with just under 4 minutes remaining in the first and it stayed that way until the third period. A defensive and goaltending gem took place and both offenses were shutdown. It looked like Sudbury would hang on, but Owen Sound found an answer with 12:50 left in the third period to tie the game at 2, which is how the game would finish. 

U15s finish up vs. Hamilton

A Koda Peltier scored the opening two goals for the Rockhonds to answer the Hamilton offense who found the net twice themselves to knot the game up at two early in the 2nd period. Hamilton would score two more to double up the score before Malik Jakubo answered to cut the deficit to 4-3, but that is unfortunately as close at the Rockhounds would get. With the game winning goal scored with 2 minutes left in the period, Hamilton scored 5 of the next six goals to finish up with a 9-4 victory in the 5th vs. 6th game. The lone Rockhounds tally in the third came from Shkwaandem-Nini Osawamick.

U11s punch ticket

Bouncing back from their first loss, the U11 Rockhounds took on Six Nations. While Six Nations took an early lead, Sudbury answered back in a big way with 4 straight goals including the game winner midway through the second. Six Nations made things interesting by closing the gap to 4-3 at the end of the second, but Sudbury scored 3 straight goals in the third period to seal a 7-3 victory. Backed by the hat trick of Kaesen Adair, 2 goal performance by Oliver Brunetti and goals from Karson Ferguson and Jarrett Marshall, the Rockhounds punched their ticket to Sunday by virtue of holding the tiebreaker over Oakville setting up a rematch against Orillia.

U15s Fall to Orillia

Playing right after the U11s, the 2nd Orillia/Sudbury matchup of the day was a higher scoring affair. Unfortunately the Kings jumped out to a 2-0 lead on powerplay goals in the first and never looked back. After extending their lead to 5-0 in the second, the Rockhounds potted 3 of their own powerplay goals before the kings closed out the second with a shorthanded goal to lead 6-3. The teams exchanged goals in the 3rd, but Orillia kept ahead winning by a final score of 10-6.

U13s in tough vs. Uxbridge

The Rockhounds answered the Enforcers opening tally to tie the game at 1 midway through the first, but after 2 quick goals to end the first, Uxbridge built a 3-1 and played stymying defence against the Rockhounds to control the game. Unable to crack the scoresheet after their first tally, the Rockhounds fell 8-1.

U11s lose close one to hosts

It was a battle of undefeated teams as the U11 Rockhounds took on the host Orillia Kings in early action on day 2. Knotted at 2 after the first, the game became a goaltending duel for the remainder of the game. Orillia took the lead with 8 minutes left to play and goalie Wyatt Williams kept them in with his play including stopping a penalty shot with just over a minute left in the game. Unfortunately the Kings scored on the powerplay that followed to seal a 4-2 victory. The Rockhounds are back at it this afternoon vs. six nations as they look to secure a spot in the next round.

U11s sore above Hawks

Picking up right where they left off in their first game, the U11 Rockhounds scored 4 unanswered goals to start the game before the Oakville Hawks finally got on the board midway through the second. Kaesen Adair and Jarrett Marshall scored in the third to round out a balanced attack that also saw goals from Oliver Brunetti, Cedric Poulin and 2 from Arlo Angus to lead the Rockhounds to a 6-1 victory and moving them to 2-0 in group play. They are back at it tomorrow at 9:00 am vs. the host Orillia Kings.

U13s In tough vs. Hosts

The second game of the tournament didn't go as planned for the U13 squad. Playing against the host team, the game was even during the first period with Orillia only widening their lead to 2 with 20 seconds left in the frame. Orillia blew things open in the 2nd with 2 powerplay and two shorthanded tallies and never looked back on route to a 17-1 victory. 

The bigger story came after the game when the U11 squad showed their support for the U13s as they were coming off the floor, showing the true support the Sudbury Rockhound community has for one another. The U13s look to rebound tomorrow morning vs. Uxbridge.

U15s Start Early In Orillia

Coming off their silver in Stayner the U15 team was back in action against Newmarket in their tournament opener. The Rockhounds jumped out to an early 3-0 in the first capitalizing on a highsticking major penalty by the Redbirds. The Rockhounds scored two more to kick off the second, including the game winner, before Newmarket answered with a tally of their own. The Rockhounds then scored 4 straight in response. The Redbirds scored 3 straight of their own to close the game, but it was too little too late as the Rockhounds held on to win 9-4. The Rockhounds attack was truly balanced in this game with 8 different goal scorers in Koda Peltier, Evany Ashcroft, Malik Jakubo, Liam Hagen, Shkwaandem-Nini Osawamick, Jackson Mead, Aidan O'coin and Levi Blouin all figuring on the scoresheet. The U15 squad is back at it at 7:30 vs. Brantford.

U11s Win Opener In Orillia

Building off their strong showing in Northumberland, the U11s opened play Orillia in their against Hunstville. After the long trek, they fell behind 2-0 before finding their legs and scoring 4 straight goals, including Daxton Wabano notching one in the final second to finish the first period. From there, they never looked back scoring 5 more in the second, including 2 from Clark Montgomery. The teams traded goals in the third with Kaesen Adair finishing off a hat trick and Sudbury finished with a 12-4 victory. The team takes on Oakville in their next game this evening at 5:30.

U13s Fall in Tournament Opener

The U13 team were in tough in their opening game against the Hamilton Bengals. The Bengals scored 5 goals in a strong first period and added two more in both the 2nd and 3rd to cruise to a 9-0 victory.  The U13s will look to bounce back against Orillia this afternoon at 4:30.

The true spirit of the game on display in the U7 finale

With only 8 players in attendance and injuries mounting, the U7s put everything they had in their final game of the tournament. The Rockhounds had the help of the host Mimico Mountaineers who lent them 3 players (Special shout out to Theo, Felix and Wes!). The extra legs renewed the energy levels of the group who put up a strong showing against Lincoln. Backed by the excellent goaltending of Brandon Whitman and the stick checking of Shaeya Morrison, the group finished with their closest game yet falling 5-2. There were plenty of smiles to go around afterwards as the newest group of Rockhounds went home with great memories of their first tournament to last a lifetime!

U11 Hold Their Own against Northumberland

Going up against one of the top ranking teams in the province, the U11 squad proved their mettle. Taking on the host team the Rockhounds managed to keep the Nemisis' scoring at bay and held the game to a respectable 5-1 score. Kaesen Adair scored the lone tally for the Rockhounds who finished 2-2 in the tournament.

U22 Fall to Champion Clarington

The U22 team finished up their Stayner tournament with a 4-3 to the team that would go on to win the tournament in Clarington. The Rockhounds showed great perseverance after going down 3-0 to close the gap to 1 at the end of two periods on tallies by Jacob Hickerson and Alex Hachez, but unfortunately couldn't grab that tying goal. The Gaels went back up by 2 with 10 minutes left and Jacob recorded his second of the game with 2:44 to go, but that was as close as they could get as they closed out their tournament play.

U15 Win Silver In STayner

Undefeated in the tournament until the final, the U15 Rockhounds came up just shy in a 6-1 loss to West Grey. Levi Blouin potted the lone goal for the Rockhounds with a shorthanded tally in the third period to break the shutout.

U15 Into the Finals

The U15 team moved to 3-0 taking their semi final against Nepean 3-2 in overtime. Malik Jakubo had two including the game winner in overtime. Jackson Mead rounded out the scoring. They'll play West Grey in the finals today at 1:30.

U7 Take on Powerhouse From Milton

A new Sudbury Rockhounds record for youngest player to take a penalty shot was set by Grayson Antonio as the U7s fell to the mighty Milton Mavericks who have been blazing through the tournament field. First time goaltender Nolan Rancourt stood on his head bravely facing a barrage of shots to keep his team in the game. The U7s finish up their tournament play at 1:30 today vs. Lincoln.

U11 Come up just shy in back and forth Battle with Akwesasne

The teams traded goals in the first and second ending up deadlocked at 5 heading into the final frame. Unfortunately Akwesasne got the better of the team in the final frame scoring 3 goals to steal an 8-5 victory. Jarrett Marshall lead the way for the Rockhounds with 2 goals and Arlo Angus, Kennan Joyce and Kaesen Adair all added a goal. With the loss Sudbury and Akwesasne both move to 2-1-0 with a round robin game to play.

U13 In Tough against West Durham

The U13 team lost 6-0 to West Durham to fall to 1-2-0 in round robin play. The U13 group reset their focus and held West Durham off the board in the final frame to build some momentum as they head into their next game.

U7 Gives it Their All vs. Mimico

Taking on the host team, the mighty group some Sudbury gave every ounce of energy they had and then some against a big home squad. Though significantly outnumbered, the team kept pace and Grayson Antonio scored with 20 seconds left to break the shutout bid in an 8-1 loss.

U11 Win Big against The Beaches

Building off the strong start in the opener, the U11 Rockhounds kept it rolling with a 17-0 win against the Toronto Beaches. Clark Montgomery scored 3, while Karson Ferguson had 4 while Laughlin Hagen and Hector Medland both chipped in a pair to move the squad to 2-0 in the tournament.

U13 In Tough vs. Stayner

U13 dropped their 2nd game in the tournament to Stayner 10-1. Their lone goal coming midway through the game to cut the deficit to 4. The U13 team looks to rebound later on today.

U7 show big heart vs. Peterborough

Troy Michelutti and Grayson Antonio both had their first career multi goal performances as the U7s played hard against Peterborough in a 9-5 loss.

U11 take down uxbridge

Two goals from Kasen Adair and tallies from first year U11 players Arlo Angus and Hector Medland propelled Sudbury to a 6-1 victory in their opener vs. Uxbridge.

U13 Open with win vs. Six nations

A game winner with 7:50 left in regulation earned the U13s an opening victory in round robin play.

U22 Fall to Brampton

Alex Hachez had a 2 goal performance, but a late rally from Brampton resulted in a 4-3 win for Brampton. The U22s moved to 1-1 in round robin play.

U15 keep it rolling vs. Six nations

A hattrick for Malik Jakubo and a four goal performance from Owen Angus highlighted the scoring as the U15s moved to 2-0 in round robin play with a 9-3 win vs. Six Nations.

U15 win big 7-1 over stayner 

Jackson Mead opened the scoring 13 seconds into the game and the Rockhounds didn't look back. 2 goal performances from Malik Jakubo and Owen Angus highlighted the scoring.

U22 open tournament with 4-1 win over west grey

Alex Hachez's 3 point night including an assist on Ben Harris' GWG propelled the U22 team to a win in their tournament opener.