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Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Southpoint Sun - 17
It’s been a rewarding 15 years
By Mark Ribble ed in the U11, U13 and U22 age groups. LEAMINGTON — When the Keith The Dries have been involved in all Lindsay Memorial Hockey Tournament levels of Southpoint Minor Hockey for was first organized 15 years ago, Greg about 30 years and Kelly says it’s been a and Kelly Dries were instrumental — rewarding time for them. along with Keith Lindsay himself — in “We had one of Greg’s teams he getting things rolling. coached at our wedding doing an honThe event — then known as the March our guard,” she says. “That was many, Break Kickoff Tournament — took on the many years ago — almost 27.” new name after Lindsay passed away in The 2021 event was cancelled because 2009. of COVID restrictions, so Greg says this Over the years, many teams have par- year will be special. ticipated in the tournament, which was “It’s so good to get them back on the traditionally run during March Break, ice,” he says. “The kids really need it.” but according to Greg Dries, the date change to a week earlier has allowed the tournament to flourish. “We found more and more teams weren’t coming for the March Break week, so we changed it and interest picked up considerably,” he told the Sun last week. Dries and his wife Kelly have been at the helm of the tournament for 15 years now, and this year’s event is their last as tournament organizers. A Southpoint Stars team celebrates in 2014. “It’s a lot of work but I’m going The Dries have many pictures and memories of to miss seeing all the girls have the tournament. fun,” said Greg. “It makes all the work worthwhile.” Looking back at the 2020 event, he The Dries have had a lot of help over says, little did they know what would the years with many committee mem- transpire the following week. bers coming on board to lend a hand “We held the 2020 tournament on over the busy weekend. March 6-8 and then on March 12 they This year’s event has 32 teams in- shut everything down for COVID,” says volved from 15 different centres, with Greg. some as far away as Ayr and Stoney This year will be a bounce back year Creek. The tournament is split into four for the tournament and the swan song divisions with teams representing U11, for Greg and Kelly Dries, but they will U13, U15 and U22 of the Ontario Wom- exit the convenor’s chair with their en’s Hockey Association. heads held high and know that the tourThe Southpoint Stars will be represent- nament will be in good shape moving forward. The tournament kicks off Friday morning at 8 am as the Southpoint Stars U11 squad hosts the LaSalle Sabrecats on the Highbury rink, while the Stars U22 team hosts the South County Predators on the Unico rink at 8:30 am. Greg and Kelly Dries will be there, reminding everyone to have fun and try their best, because, as Keith Lindsay always said, “Every day is a good day.” Greg and Kelly Dries have been at the helm of the
Flyers win two, lose one
By C. Scott Holland LEAMINGTON — After playing three games in the span of four days, the Flyers grabbed four points and maintained a second-place tie with Chatham, with five games in hand on firstplace London. On Thursday, the Flyers returned to action after 12 days off and dropped a lacklustre 6-3 decision to the visiting Komoka Kings. The Flyers fell behind early and never recovered. They attempted a comeback in the third, only to be thwarted by Kings’ goalie Omar Hage. Flyers starter Ryan Polidori stopped 23 of 28 shots, while Hage was spectacular, halting 49 Flyers attempts including 23 in the third. After spotting the Kings a 2-0 lead, Kale Couvillon scored for the Flyers with about three minutes left in the first. In the second, the Kings
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Keith Lindsay Tournament for 15 years.
The Leamington Flyers swarm the net of the Komoka Kings here last Thursday. The Kings held on to upset the Flyers 6-3. Scott Holland photo
2315 Hickson Rd. RR1, Wheatley
upped their lead to 3-1 before the Flyers Connor McCracken cut the score to 4-2. In the third period, the Flyers played their best hockey of the game and closed the margin to 4-3 when Colton O’Brien chipped in a powerplay tally at 3:19. That was as close as Leamington would get as Hage shut the door from there on in. The Kings scored two more, including an empty-netter to finish it off. Friday night in St. Thomas, the Flyers hung on to edge the Stars 4-3 after opening up a 4-2 lead. The teams had a good battle for 50 minutes before the Flyers surged ahead and stayed there. Scoring for Leamington were Koen Taves, who slotted his first two markers of the campaign, while Blake McNally and Darby Lemieux fired one each. Lemieux’s tally proved
to be the game-winner at 11:55 of the third. Polidori started for the second straight night and stopped 29 of 32 shots. In their final Sunday afternoon game of regular season, the Flyers won 3-1 over the Sarnia Legionnaires. Leamington rolled out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame as Wyatt O’Neil deflected Seth Martineau’s screen shot 75 seconds after the opening faceoff. Minutes later, Jack Cotter collected his own rebound and deposited it into the open side. Sarnia tabbed their only goal eight minutes into the third and the contest stayed 2-1 until the final minutes when Connor MacPherson scored an empty-netter. Boe Piroski, who had been up briefly with the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs, made 25 saves to get the win. Schedule: March 3 vs St. Marys Lincolns, 7:10 pm.
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