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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-11-18, Page 3THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010. PAGE 9. Wingham Silver Stick celebrates 25 years The Wingham Regional Silver Stick tournaments are celebrating 25 years this year. The Midget tournament runs from Nov. 21-28 and the Atom tournament goes from Dec. 5-12. It was 25 years ago that a group of dedicated minor hockey people journeyed to the International Silver Stick annual meeting being held in Wallaceburg to make a presentationfor permission to hold a Silver Stick- sanctioned tournament in Wingham. The group consisting of Grant Currie, Jon Bateson, Alan Harrison, Bill Brown, Bob Remington and Paul McKee gave a detailed presentation to the board of the directors of International Silver Stick and the representatives of the other Silver Stick tournaments in Ontario and the United States. Wingham was awarded a Midget and Atom regional tournament.Currie is chairman of the Midget tournament and Bateson is the chairman of the Atom tournament. “We didn’t expect 25 years when we first started,” Currie said in an interview. He said the reason the group wanted a Silver Stick tournament was because Wingham needed to have an elite tournament in order to make teams want to come there. “The winners of the regional tournament advance to theinternational tournament for their respective age group,” said Currie. “It’s a pretty big thing. We are pretty pleased to be a regional centre.” The initial tournaments consisted of eight teams in the B category and eight teams in the C category. Today, there are 24 teams in the Midget tournament and another 24 teams in the Atom tournament, with games being played in the North Huron Wescast Community Complex and the Blyth and District Community Centre on the Saturday of the tournament (Nov. 27 and Dec. 11). Currie said the Wingham tournaments have provided teams in the area the opportunity to compete for the right to advance to the International Silver Stick finals. The winners of the B category advance to the B finals in Sarnia and the winners of the C category go to the C finals in Forest. “The Silver Stick tournaments have become a community affair in Wingham,” he said. “Businesses proudly support the tournament, sponsor ice time and place advertisements in the program, offer Silver Stick specials at their place of business and ensure that the 48 teams that come to town during the tournaments receive a healthy welcome.” Currie noted some Blyth businesses are also placing ads in the program. He noted that all proceeds from the tournaments go to WMHA enabling the association to provide affordable registration to all boys and girls in the minor hockey program. “Wingham Silver Stick is the major sponsor of the minor hockey Tyke program and offers free registration to all boys and girls, ages four to six,” he said. “There are 45 kids in the program.” He said if the minor hockey program can get them started at a young age and provide them with a good program, they’ll want to stayall the way through minor hockey. According to Currie, Wingham Silver Stick offers a scholarship to a boy or girl from WMHA who will be furthering their education at university, college or an apprenticeship program. In recognition of the 25th anniversary of the tournaments, the Brett Cameron Memorial Foundation is offering a scholarship this year to a boy and a girl. When the tournaments first started, they were using the Belmore Arena on the Saturday. With amalgamation, it was advantageous for the tournaments to use the Blyth Arena. Having the North Huron Wescast Community Complex and the Blyth and District Community Centre makes it easier to attract teams, Currie said. He said the success of the tournaments is mainly due to the members of the hardworking committee which “really love what they are doing.” “There is a core group of about 15 people who have been together for 20 years,” he said. “There are four of us who have been here 25 years. To be able to keep a group like that together through two tournaments is quite remarkable. We’ve worked well together down through the years.” The first game for the Blyth Midgets is on Monday when they play Seaforth at 6:15 p.m. in Wingham. Blyth plays two games on Saturday, Nov. 27 in Blyth. They play Chatsworth at 12:15 and then tangle with Lucknow at 4:30 p.m. Opening ceremony for the midget tournament is Nov. 26 in Wingham. There will be a Pre-Tyke and Tyke game starting at 5:50 p.m., the Wall of Fame induction ceremony at 6 p.m. and the official opening ceremonies at 6:30 p.m., featuring International Silver Stick representatives. By Jim BrownThe Citizen Splitsville The Wingham Ironmen split their weekend games, chalking up a win on Friday night by a score of 9-5 over Kincardine, but then fell to Walkerton on Saturday by a score of 6-1. (Jim Brown photo) The Wingham Ironmen managed a split in two Western Junior C Hockey League contests over the weekend. The offence woke up on Friday evening as the Ironmen scored nine goals on their way to a 9-5 decision over the Kincardine Bulldogs. Playing at the North Huron Wescast Community Complex on Saturday, the Ironmen fell 6-1 to the league- leading Walkerton Hawks. The Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal by Greg Wardell, just 36 seconds into the game. At 15:22 of the second period, Graham Ashcroft scored an unassisted goal to tie the contest at one. The tie was shortlived, however, as Drew Davidson scored on the power play at 18:39 of the middle period. Captain Chris Corbett was serving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at the time. Walkerton broke the game open with three goals in less than three minutes in the first half of the third period. They added another marker in the final minute of the game. Following the game, coach Chad Haggitt of Blyth said the Ironmen played two periods of good hockey and were able to stay with the Hawks. “We were tired. We played a good game Friday night in Kincardine,” he said. “We just ran out of gas against Walkerton.” Adam Corbett, usually a defenceman, was playing forward against the Hawks. Haggitt said forward Tyler Kellum was injured and the Ironmen picked up another defenceman when they acquired David Jones from the Walkerton Hawks prior to Friday’s contest. “We talked to Adam about it and he was for it, saying he’d give it a try,” said Haggitt. Next weekend the Ironmen play a home-and-home series with the Goderich Sailors. The Sailors are in Wingham on Friday for an 8 p.m. start at the North Huron Wescast Community Complex and then the Ironmen travel to Goderich on Saturday for a 7 p.m. start time. “We need all four points,” said the coach. “We are going to work hard.” Chris Corbett enjoyed a six-point game against the Bulldogs on Friday night and powered the come-from- behind victory. Kincardine took a 2-0 lead in the first period, but a goal by Corbett sparked the Ironmen as they scored four times before the end of the period. Also getting goals were Stephenson with a pair, and Cory MacDonald. Kincardine got back to within one early in the second period. Wingham then scored five straight goals before the Bulldogs concluded the scoring with two more goals. Scoring for the Ironmen in their five-goal outburst were Chris Corbett with three, Adam Corbett and Jackson Martin. Don’t Give Up A Thing. High Traction Tread SNOW GROOVE M.G.M. TOWNSEND TIRE WE’LL KEEP YOU ROLLING 40356 LONDESBORO RD., LONDESBOROUGH BUSINESS: 519-523-4742 TOLL FREE: 1-877-619-7877 EMAIL: ttyr@tcc.on.ca Ironmen split weekend games