Sep 26, 2023 | Jennifer Laird | 596 views
U10A Warriors Drop a Heart Breaker to Northumberland
By Team Correspondent, Clapbomb Bardownski
UXBRIDGE - In a hard-fought battle against a formidable opponent in the Northumberland Nighthawks, the U10A North Durham Warriors succumbed to a 7-4 loss to wrap up their preseason schedule with a 2-1-0 record.
Rumours that Taylor Swift was planning on attending the game before flying to Kansas City to watch the Chiefs play on Sunday, meant the game unfolded in front of a capacity crowd that was bumpin'. This reporter could tell that the boys appreciated all the family and friends cheering them on as the game moved along. Especially that cowbell.
Article by Clapbomb Bardownski, Team Reporter
UXBRIDGE - In a hard-fought battle against a formidable opponent in the Northumberland Nighthawks, the U10A North Durham Warriors succumbed to a 7-4 loss to wrap up their preseason schedule with a 2-1-0 record.
Rumours that Taylor Swift was planning on attending the game before flying to Kansas City to watch the Chiefs play on Sunday, meant the game unfolded in front of a capacity crowd that was bumpin'. This reporter could tell that the boys appreciated all the family and friends cheering them on as the game moved along. Especially the cowbell.
The Warriors got off to a strong start and went up 1-0 early in the first period after William Low sniped a hard shot into the corner of the net from a tough angle. Not sure how he saw it but he did. He shoots. He scores!
Northumberland then turned up the tempo and scored 3 in a row to go up 3-1 by the time we approached the midpoint of the 2nd period.
Cameron Martin tallied our next goal, taking a high and hard wrister from the top of the circle that caught the Northumberland netminder by surprise before pinballing through the blue ice and into the cage. We were right back in it and the place was rockin'.
Northumberland wouldn't relent and routinely sent their forwards into the neutral zone in an attempt to create a wave of offensive chances. Which they did. The atmosphere was electric and the action was moving from end to end at a very high pace. It was almost as if the coaching staff literally had absolutely no control over what the boys were doing on the ice. Literally. They had no control. Wait....what?
Low then registered his 2nd goal of the game, and 8th of the preseason, with a near mirror image of his first goal of the game. He picked the same corner from the same spot, with the same puck, using the same stick and getting the same cheer from the crowd. With this, we headed into the 3rd period locked at 3 goals a piece.
The final period saw intense play at both ends of the ice. Zack Dawson stood tall on defence throughout the third, clearing the puck out of the zone and continually shutting down the onslaught of Northumberland attackers.
Our fourth and final goal of the game came off a strong backhander that Benny McEvoy zipped past the Northumberland goalie after picking up a well timed pass from steady D-man Callum O'Connor. Bingo. Bango. Bongo. Nice play. We were up 4-3.
Northumberland's persistence ultimately proved to be the difference-maker, and they scored 4 third period goals to take the game 7-4.
Penalty trouble plagued North Durham throughout the game; the door to the sin bin may as well have been a revolving one, with Wyatt Laird and James Griffith both feeling shame after being called for body checking, and Zack Dawson and Cooper Andrews each serving time for hooking.
Coach McEvoy emphasized the need for discipline and penalty management as an area for improvement moving forward. In the face of penalty kills, the team showed resilience, but it ultimately made the uphill battle against Northumberland even steeper.
The coaching staff praised the team's effort overall and encouraged them to build on their strengths while addressing areas that need refinement. As the season progresses, North Durham will undoubtedly draw lessons from this challenging encounter with Northumberland.
Willem Adamkowski and Max Shelswell again shared goaltending duties and it was like they had done their fall apple picking together, with both net minders picking pucks out of the air the way most people pick Macintoshes from tree branches. Both goalies made excellent saves including some acrobatics and unorthodox maneuvers to keep the puck out of the net.
In the post game presser, hard-working forward Holden Geldart told reporters, "We're staying focused on what we can control. Which is effort. We're going to come out next game even hungrier for the puck, and even more determined to outwork the opponents on every shift. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you learn. We're all trying to get a little bit better each time we step on the ice."
Player of the game was presented to James Griffith who sprung to life on many plays, showing poise and confidence in contributing to the rush from back on the point. James took calculated risks, many of which turned into opportunities for our squad and increased pressure on the opposition. Well done, James!
Up next, the boys travel to the Newmarket Early Bird Start-Up Tournament this weekend to round out preparations for the regular season. Follow the team on Instagram for game highlights, team insights, and more at @ndwarriorsu10a. We Are All Warriors.