HomeMy WebLinkAboutLucknow Sentinel, 2009-05-13, Page 9Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - Page 9
Hamilton wins Jr. C Schmalz Cup in style with Essex 73's
BY GARII' REID
Sentinel Staff
The Jr. C Essex
73's recently won
the Ontario cham-
pionship and lifted
up the Clarence
"Tubby", Schmalz
Cup with a com-
plete series sweep
of the Alliston
Hornets. It was a
thrill for third year
player and
Lucknowite Cory
Hamilton . who had
made it to the
finals before, but
never won it all
until now.
Last year was :a
different story as
the Hornets came
out on top in the
championships in
a thrilling game
seven overtime
game, against the
73's..
This year was a
different story as
the 73's finished
the Hornets off
with a convincing
7-0 win in' game
four. It was a relief
for Hamilton as he
finally won a
championship
after three hard
years of playing
for the 73's.
"We were.
expecting a little
bit more : out of
them this year, but
they still played
hard, we just shut
them `• down defen-
sively, said
Hamilton.
Hamilton was
confident , in the
way he and his:
team didn't allow
Alliston to get
their offense going.
with ,the way the
73's used a consis-
tent defence all
series.
"Ithink :I Oayed:
prettywell. 1 did-
n't
n t put up the
offense I would
have liked, but. I
concentrated more
on the defensive
part of my . game,"
said Hamilton.
Hamilton's six-
year junior career
culminated inthe
winning of the
Schmalz cup and
he feels it was a
great way to cap
off his time in jun-
ior, hockey. He is
going into his
fourth year at
kinesiology at the
University: of
Windsor and
wants . stay an
active . participant
in the game . of
hockey-
"I'm gearing
towards either.
teaching or pbys-
totherapy after
school and.proba-
blY do some high
school hockey
coachingh
achin in the
Windsor area,"
said Hamilton.
Hamilton can't
say enough about
his time with the
Essex 73's organi-
zation and how
well they treated
the players and
just how profes-
sionally they han-
ded the team on a
day-to-day basis.
"Every year of
my junior career
was a good experi-
ence, but in Essex
it ;was just so top
of the line in the
way they operate,"
said Hamilton.
"They don't pay
players, but whey
make up for it with
the team going on
a cruise every
year. It's great of
the organization."
g,
Hamilton also
played : alongside
first year defense -
man Adam Corbett
:
who is � from
Brussels and.. he
just wanted to
point out that it
was a privilege
playing with a
teammate so close
to his hometown
of Lucknow.
Again, it was a
great way .to enda
career for
Hamilton and as
he moves on with
his academics and
beyond, this cham-
pionship will be a
good memory : for
hien.
"It was a sweet
way to end it like
this because the
Schmalz cup is
like the Stanley
cup for Jr. C," said
Hamilton. "It real=
ly hasn't hit me yet
and I don't think it
will until the team
starts training
camp next year
and knowing that
I'm too old to play,
but I had a great
time."
Submitted photo
Cory Hamilton of
Lucknow holds up
the Schmalz Cup
after his team, the
Essex 73's, had
won the jr. C
Ontario champi-
onship
onships over the
Alliston Hornets
in a series sweep,
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"He's a kid with
tonsof offensive
potential and I think
he's the best player
for his age in
Ontario right now,"
said Kuntz. The
next step is just get-
ting him bigger and
stronger and that
will. just take a big
summer in the
Getting stronger
is something ` that
has come up in
Meurs' scouting
report, but . Meurs
himself acknowl-
edges that the OHL
is a big step and to
compete with all of
the other talented
players in the
league, he'll have to
be as strong on the
puck as they are or
even stronger.
"What I'rn hop-
ing for over the
summer is to
improve my overall
strength, so that I'm
ready for camp and
a full OHL season,"
said Meurs.
Another ' adjust-
ment for Meurs will
be moving away
home to.
Plymouth,
Michigan in the
USA. He'll have to
get used to a new
city, people and the
limelight bof . being
an OHL : player, in a
big hockey town
such as Plyn
"It will be good
for me to get to
know the area and
the rest of` the.rook-
ies when I get: to
Plymouth," : said
Meurs.
Some of the pres-
sure was taken off
of Meurs when he
received a call from
Tyler Seguin,
Plymouth's number
one pick from last
year. Seguin called
to congratulate him.
He also told him
how great a hockey
town Plymouth is
and that Meurs
would love,it diene.
"Tyler just told
me how great an
area it was and that
it would be really
easy to get used to,"
said Meths.
Having played a
majority of his
minor hockey in
Ripley ` and hawing:
ties • in Lucknow,
Meurs shouldn't
have too much of a-
problem :fi ting into
a hockey'town
Having the :sup
port of his parents
and grandparents
has gone along way
in making Meurs
the :player he is
today.
`j owealottomy
parents and grand-
parents who made
sure I had all of the
right equipment,
made sure I got to
every practice and
game plus support
edmealltheway,
said Meurs "Power
skating and getting
on the ice as much
as possible has also
helped me with my
game over the
years."
Meurs also mod-
els his game after
his favourite NHL
player and New
Jersey-. Devils for-
ward Zach Parise.
"He's . a great
player with fast
hands who always
goes to the net,"
said Meurs. He also
Submitted photo
Garrett Meurs seen here wearing his
Huron -Perth AAA Lakers uniform.
Meurs was drafted 13th overall by the
Plymouth Whalers in the OHL Priority.
Draft.
pays attention at all
times to where the
puck is so that he's
in good position to
make something
happen," said
Meurs.
Playing for the
Canadian Under -17
Juniors and Canada
World Juniors is
something Meurs
would like to aspire
too. and his ultimate
dream would be to
make the NHL.
For right now
Meurs is looking to
do anything to help
his new team, the
Plymouth Whalers
in having success
during his time
there.
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