Atom Minor A faces New Hamburg in semi-final

The Southpoint Point Pelee Karting Atom Minor A Capitals continued their OMHA semi-final series with the New Hamburg Huskies this past weekend with the six-point series tied at two.

On Friday, the Capitals hosted New Hamburg with hopes of a win to advance to the provincial final. Southpoint came out a little flat and as a result the Huskies scored on a Caps giveaway. Midway through the second, Southpoint gave up a breakaway which Karly Franklin, in net for the Capitals stopped, and New Hamburg was allowed to keep banging away at the rebounds until they finally knocked it in to go up by a pair.

The Caps kept generating numerous scoring chances but were stymied by the Huskies goalie.

Finally with 1:02 remaining, Kayden Cook backhanded a shot towards the net and in to halve the score. That was as close as the Capitals would come in a disappointing 2-1 loss.

On Saturday, the Capitals hosted New Hamburg in a matinee.

Southpoint, at 6:17 of the opening frame, while shorthanded, Ben Liebrock hit Tyler Thomas with a pass to send him in alone. The goalie stopped the initial shot, but Liebrock, following the play, banged in the rebound to take the lead. Thomas fired a shot low on net and Liebrock made no mistake with the rebound to go up by a pair.

The score remained the same until the third.

Two minutes in, while on the power play, Kayden Cook sent a pass back to Jonathan Recker at the point. Recker fired his shot at the net and Liebrock made a nice tip between the goalies pads to complete his hatty.

New Hamburg scored shortly after but the result was a 3-1 victory for the home team to set up a game five back in New Hamburg on Sunday.

Southpoint Atom Minor A gets some last-minute coaching advice before OT in Game 5 of the semi-final series versus New Hamburg. (Submitted Photo)

Maybe it was the long bus ride or the loss of an hour’s sleep, but Southpoint came out slow in this contest. They battled hard but just barely hung on in the early part of the opening period. With 4:18 on the clock, Ben Liebrock let go his shot low blocker to take the lead.

Four minutes into the second period, while on the power play, Jonathan Recker grabbed the puck just outside the line and weaved in through both defensemen, deking the goalie and slipping the puck into the open cage to go up by two.

New Hamburg scored four minutes into the third while on a power play.

It stayed that way until 3:11 remaining when the Caps left a man wide open in the slot and he was able to even the score.

With the game tied at two, both squads were headed to overtime. Both sides had scoring chances early as the extra time was back and forth exciting hockey. With a little over five to play, the Huskies managed to break in on a two on one with the shooter hammering in his slap shot to win the game and the series.

Although Southpoint was obviously disappointed in the result, each player can hold their head up high and be very proud of all that they have accomplished this season. In fact, in an incredible show of sportsmanship the few hundred New Hamburg fans that had watched the game gathered in the lobby and clapped in appreciation of the Southpoint players as they left the rink as a team. Win as a team, lose as a team.