Soo U16 Greyhounds Finish 1-2-1 in Waterloo at 2024 Gold Puck AAA Tournament
Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
The Soo U16 Greyhounds of the GNU18HL hit the road this past weekend to compete in the 2024 Gold Puck AAA Tournament in Waterloo, Ontario. Joining 13 other U16 AAA hockey programs, the Greyhounds played four games over the weekend, from Friday, December 13th, to Sunday, December 15th, delivering a mix of exciting performances and valuable experience against high-level competition.
The tournament began with game one against a strong opponent, the Eastern Ontario Wild where the Greyhounds fell 6-3. Despite the loss, Finley Escasa, Russell McNally, and Wyatt Jarratt each found the back of the net for the Soo. Goaltender Carriere stood tall in net, facing a barrage of shots from the opposition.
In game two, the Greyhounds faced off against the Ottawa 67’s in a hard-fought contest that ended in a 2-2 tie. Jacob Vincent and Finlay Carlson each scored key goals for the Soo, while netminder Gavin Zuccato delivered a solid performance to help secure the draw.
Game three saw the Greyhounds bounce back with a dominant 4-1 victory over Okanagan Hockey Ontario. Goals came from Finley Escasa, Connor Belanger, Jacob Vincent, and Russell McNally, showcasing the team’s offensive depth. Gavin Zuccato was again in net, providing a reliable presence and helping the Soo to their first win of the tournament.
The final game of the weekend pitted the Greyhounds against the North York Rangers. Despite their efforts, the Soo fell 6-0 in a tough matchup. Tanner Carriere returned to the crease for this game, facing a determined Rangers offense that ultimately proved too much to handle.
Looking ahead, the U16 Greyhounds will return to the road for their next game, a midweek clash against the U18 Wolves in Sudbury, Ontario. The game is set for a 7:45 p.m. start on Wednesday, December 18th, as the Greyhounds aim to regroup and bring their tournament experiences to their next challenge.
Saturday, December 14 (7:30 p.m)
Soo Greyhounds (0) vs (6) North York Rangers
1st Period
(08:14) North York Rangers – Frank Popkie (Hank Tang)
(04:36) North York Rangers – Joshua Strizzi (Unassisted)
2nd Period
(10:04) North York Rangers – Hank Tang (Andrew Pacheco/Justin Flora)
(06:31) North York Rangers – Ryan Ungerman (Joshua Strizzi)
3rd Period
(14:14) North York Rangers – Andrew Pacheco (Unassisted) (PP)
(08:58) North York Rangers – Cooper Lawrence (Jerry Kakish/Hank Tang)
Goaltenders
North York Rangers – Barreca Jonathan
Soo Greyhounds – Tanner Carrirere
Saturday, December 14 (11:45 a.m)
Soo Greyhounds (4) vs (1) Okanagan Hockey Ontario
1st Period
(03:26) Soo Greyhounds – Finley Escasa (Unassisted) (SH)
2nd Period
(14:40) Soo Greyhounds – Connor Belanger (Nico Bossio)
(06:34) Soo Greyhounds – Jacob Vincent (Blake Edwards/Wyatt Jarratt
3rd Period
(14:42) Soo Greyhounds – Russell McNally (Nathan Watts/Brett Archambault)
(09:48) Okanagan Hockey Ontario – Alex Grezlovski (Liam Louca)
Goaltender
Okanagan Hockey Ontario – Ben Grant
Soo Greyhounds – Gavin Zuccato
Friday, December 13 (8:00 p.m)
Ottawa Jr 67’s (2) vs (2) Soo Greyhounds
1st Period
(14:09) Ottawa Jr 67’s – Malcolm James (Kai Stevens)
(06:37) Soo Greyhounds – Jacob Vincent (Francesco Reda)
2nd Period
(07:26) Ottawa Jr 67s – Will Walker (James Zhang/Xander Pasher)
3rd Period
(14:31) Soo Greyhounds – Finlay Carlson (Myka Venneri/Wyatt Jarratt (PP)
Goaltenders
Ottawa Jr 67s – Jacob Turpin
Soo Greyhounds – Gavin Zuccato
Friday, December 13 (1:00 p.m)
Eastern Ontario Wild (6) vs (3) Soo Greyhounds
1st Period
(08:53) Eastern Ontario Wild – Kaleb Fogarty (Presley Kelly-Wright/Owen Lacelle) (PP)
(06:53) Eastern Ontario Wild – Adam Mailhot (Alexander Campeau/Nathan Adams)
2nd Period
(12:47) Eastern Ontario Wild – Nevyn Trenholm (Alexander Campeau)
(00:49) Soo Greyhounds – Finley Escasa (Russell McNally/Maks Demidovich)
3rd Period
(13:40) Eastern Ontario Wild – Nevyn Trenholm (Owen LaCelle) (PP)
(12:49) Eastern Ontario Wild – Thomas Ranger (Unassisted)
(10:18) Eastern Ontario Wild – Alexander Campeau (Presley Kelly-Wright) (PP)
(09:08) Soo Greyhounds – Russell McNally (Unassisted)
(01:29) Soo Greyhounds – Wyatt Jarratt (Myka Venneri) (PP)
Goaltenders
Soo Greyhounds – Tanner Carriere
Eastern Ontario Wild – Alex Kerr
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