The Tawingo Bantam AE Otters travelled to Prince Edward County over the weekend for the 4th Annual Milk Tournament. Upon arriving home they received the greatest reward any team could hope for - praise from an opposing team for their outstanding sportsmanship. Read the attached letter from an opponent's Mother which demonstrates how honourably this team has represented Huntsville.
Good morning!
I would like to congratulate the Huntsville Otters Bantam AE Team on their win against my son's team, the Napanee Stars on Saturday, but mostly for their excellent show of sportsmanship following the game.
My son, Nolan Hatch, was the goalie in the net for the 8-0 loss. Despite his best efforts, he was not able to bring a win away for his team and was extremely disappointed. When his own team failed to acknowledge his efforts in the net, the Otters succeeded.
Thank you to the opposing goalie, who did something I have never seen before - skated to Nolan's bench between periods and tapped him on the helmet. Thank you to the Coach, who approached our Trainer (who happens to be Nolan's father) following the game and commented on his goaltending skills. Thank you to the parents of the opposing goalie who approached myself and Nolan in the lobby to tell him how well he did. And thank you to a player (I did not get a number, unfortunately) who approached Nolan unprovoked in the lobby to tell him "you did a great job out there".
I have never been more impressed by the actions of an opposing team and I had to let you know what a great team you have in the Huntsville Otters. Coaches and parents, you should be proud, you're definitely doing something right :)
Regards,
Angela Hatch
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Our boys demonstrated themselves as a respectful and empathic group of young men - there can be no greater source of pride for us parents. Way to go Bantam AE Otters!!!
In addition, the boys had a great weekend on the ice as well!
The Otters hit the ice in Picton on Friday night to take on the Hespler Shamrocks in a late evening game - hitting the ice at nearly 9:30 after a long day at school and a long car ride to the rink. The game proved to be a tight match throughout, with no score at the end of the first. The second period found the Otters shorthanded for a big chunk and the Shamrocks managed to score once in that period. Around the 10 minute mark of the third, the Otters managed to find the net, however, the Shamrocks scored once again three minutes later. The game continued back and forth until the buzzer, but there were no further goals, leaving the score 2-1 in favour of the Shamrocks.
The following day, the Otters returned to the Picton Arena well rested and ready to play. They took on the Napanee Stars in a mid-afternoon game. From the drop of the first puck, the Otters were on fire and there was nothing stopping them. Our defensive team combined with strong goaltending shut the door on any opportunities the Stars tried to capitalize on. Our offense never stopped and were a force to be reckoned with - even though the Stars goalie stood on his head, making many saves, our Otters still managed to get 8 past him, leaving the final score 8-0 in favour of the Otters.
After two games of play, once the point system was tallied, the Otters had earned enough points to bypass the Saturday evening elimination game and move directly onto the semi finals in an early 8:00AM game on Sunday morning. This game saw the Otters pitted against the Glanbrook Rangers. The Otters once again came out on fire, demonstrating how well they work together as a team, with three periods of fast skating, accurate passing and all around cohesive team play. The Otters dominated the Rangers throughout the entire three periods, but unfortunately for us, the Rangers goalie was on fire and shut the door countless times while being faced with a barrage of shots from the Otters. As a result, even though the Otters outshot the Rangers 36-12, the final score ended up 3-2 in favour of the Rangers. The loss was in no way indicative of how strong our Otters played as a team. Although it would have been nice for the boys to advance to the Championship game, they still came away winners both on and off the ice throughout the weekend!