The Owen Sound Ice Hawks have been without a Bantam Category team for two years now, but after a very successful year in Pee Wee BB last
season, they now have enough players graduating into Bantam as well as
attracting some other new talent from various systems around the area.
Returning to coach again this season is head coach Brett Miller along with
returning assistants, Justin Tolton & Kevin Green, Goalie Coach Rob
Campbell and Manager/Asst Trainer Crystal Falls.
They had plenty of kids to choose from at the tryout camps this year including 7 goalies and 26 skaters, so there was some tough decisions to be made in where to head with the team for its future but were able to place 17 kids on their 2018/19 team.
Because of this youth movement, the staff decided they needed more help, so welcome to the fold as an assistant coach is Dan Madill, Associate coaches Pete McDougall & Brad Vokes, and Goalie coaches Jason Barnard & Bill Dennis. Katie Bridge is returning as an On Ice help and Tori Craig is the new Head Trainer and Sarah Bright is the Strength & Conditioning coach.
In the end, the staff chose to go with a very young team, selecting fourteen 2005 age kids and Three 2006 age kids on the roster to hopefully promote longevity in the program.
Welcome to the team are new players Heather Koch, Lindsay Cumming, Natalie Madill, Sophia Fuller, Natalie Mole, Cecily Mallette, Renayla Campbell & former Ice Hawk Olivia Hall. Also returning to the nucleus are Chesney Miller, Natalie Tolton, Kenzie Falls, Lara Dennis, Tiegen Berne, Keirsten Henrich, Alyssa Barnard, Mary Green & Maggie Harvey.
The kids will have an uphill battle all season as most of their competition will be made up of 2004 kids, so the size and maturity will be a factor, but these kids love to compete and are ready for the challenges they will face this season.
The kids played a few games in late Sept and early Oct to get in shape and challenge various categories including A, BB, & B level teams.
They lost 4 to 1 to the Cambridge Roadrunners in just their 4th time on the ice with Natalie Tolton scoring from Renayla Campbell and Chesney Miller in the contest then traveled to Wilmot to play the Wolverines and won 3 to 0 with goals going to Natalie Tolton with 2 and Lara Dennis with 1 while Chesney Miller & Lindsay Cumming put up 2 assists each and Olivia Hall and Maggie Harvey got 1 assist each. Following a loss to Guelph A, the team took a loss to Woolwich Wild in the same day in which Natalie Tolton scored again with assists going to Cecily Mallette and Chesney Miller.
The team then traveled to Barrie tied 1 to 1 with their BB team with Natalie Tolton staying hot scoring once again from Chesney Miller and Renayla Campbell. The team stayed to challenge Barrie A that same day and played a 50 minute game and walked away with a 0 to 0 tie! From there they went to Orangeville and again tied 1 to 1 with Kenzie Falls getting her first of the season from Natalie Tolton and Mary Green.
So after a weekend off to recover, the team finally got to play a pair of home games vs Brantford Ice Cats, they lost the first game 2 to 0, but tied the second game on a goal by Chesney Miller for her first of the season with assists going to Natalie Tolton and Lindsay Cumming.
So from there, the team took a 1 to 0 loss vs Orangeville at home and then went to Clinton to play the Huron Heat and again losing by 4 to 3.
Keirsten Henrich and Lindsay Cumming both got their first goals of the season, and Natalie Tolton scored the other and Chesney Miller had 2 assists, while Lindsay Cumming, Natalie Madill, Tiegen Berne, & Natalie Mole each had one apiece.
The season has now started and the kids are already seeing some adversities and big challenges to overcome, but one thing is for sure they will learn a lot from all of them!
Good Luck this season girls!!
Go Ice Hawks!!