Apr 18, 2019 | Kim Thurston | 1883 views
Quinte West Pita Pit Peewee Hawks win OHF Championship
The Pita Pit Peewee
Hawks capped off their already accomplished season by winning the 2019 Ontario
Hockey Federation championship title.
The four top Peewee A teams in the OHF plus the host team battled for All Ontario supremacy in Burlington April 12 – 14.
With a championship weekend record of 5 wins and 1 loss, the Hawks proved to be the ‘best of the best’ defeating the Waterloo Wolves 4 - 1 in the gold medal game.
This is only the third Quinte West team to win in OHF history and the first time for a QW Peewee team.
The Hawks faced each of the other 4 teams in the preliminary round with the top 4 teams moving onto the semi finals. Round robin game results:
Game 1: Hawks 6 – Temiskaming Shores Puckhounds 4
Game 2: Hawks 3 – Vaughan Rangers 4
Game 3: Hawks 5 – Waterloo Wolves 3
Game 4: Hawks 17 – Burlington Bulldogs 1
Their 3 W and 1 L record tied them for first place with Temiskaming and Vaughan and set up a semi-final matchup against the Rangers; the only team to beat the Hawks in round robin play. The semi-final was a back and forth game to start with Trey Cocek (assist Aidan Molenhuis) opening the scoring for the Hawks in the first. Vaughan answered back with 2 goals in the second to go ahead. The Hawks regained the lead on 2 goals from Trevor Brooks (assists Cocek, Cole Hazlewood, Ben Bridger) and 1 from Liam Storms (unassisted) to go into the third period with a 2-goal advantage. Vaughan closed the gap to one early in the frame but a minute later Molenhuis (assist Cocek) reclaimed the 2-goal cushion. Then the wheels fell off for Vaughan as the Hawks pounded in 4 more goals; 1 from Bridger (assists Nolan Donnelly, Brooks) and a natural hat trick from Donnelly (assists Bridger, Denholm Blair). Final score 9 – 3, giving the Hawks a shot at the OHF title. Cody Harron backstopped the Hawks for the win. Waterloo had struggled in the preliminary round losing 3 of 4 games but bested Temiskaming in the other semi final to advance to the final.
In the gold medal match, Waterloo opened the scoring, but this was the only shot they would manage to get past Cody Harron who had a great game in net for the Hawks. Special teams turned out to be the difference as the Peewees scored 1 shorthanded (the Hawks held the distinction of being the most penalized team in the tournament as well) and 2 power play goals in the game. Donnelly (assist Molenhuis) scored short-handed to tie it up before the end of the first. The second saw only one goal with Donnelly (assist Cocek) scoring this time on a power play. Early in the third Cocek (assist Josh Mathew) scored again on the power play to open a 2-goal lead. Bridger (assist Donnelly) added another insurance goal to ice the gold medal win!
Congratulations to Nolan Donnelly with the well-deserved recognition of being named tournament Most Valuable Player for the Hawks.
So after 81 games (and around 1000 laps of the zamboni) the 2018-19 season will be one to remember and one the boys should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments! Congratulations to all the players; Cody Harron, Xander Reid, Ben Bridger, Andrew Green, Cole Hazlewood, Denholm Blair, Nolan Donnelly, Trevor Brooks, Bryce Davy, Trey Cocek, Matt Jones, Lukas Scaletta, Jordan McLaughlin, Liam Storms, Josh Mathew, Aidan Molenhuis, Brock Davy (AP), Sunny Fanjoy (AP) and the Team staff; Scott Scaletta, Doug Mathew, Jim Hazlewood, Greg Bridger, Chris Harron and Mandy Harron on a fantastic season!