As an invited team to the International Silver Stick Finals
the Burlington Global Fuels Atom AA Blue Eagles made their presence known.
With two wins on the first day, they started the tournament strong. Winning their first game 4-1 over the Winterhurst Warriors, a team that traveled from Ohio to play in the Silver Stick. The second game was against another American team, the Montgomery Blue Devils, from Washington DC. In a game that proved these Eagles know how to put the puck in the net; they beat the Blue Devils 6-0.
On day two, the Eagles played at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena, home to the Sarnia Sting. It was here that they faced the number one ranked team in Ontario, the Peterborough Petes. The Eagles knew they had work to do and were coached to match their competition (THINK: DIAMOND FORMATION for penalty kills). Skating hard, and battling their opponents for the full 40 minutes of play, these Eagles went right to the end but were beat 5-0 by Peterborough.
With two wins and a loss, they qualified for the quarter-finals. A huge accomplishment since 8 of the 16 teams did not qualify. Luck of the draw had the Eagles face the Stratford Jr. Warriors, the same team that beat them in the Silver Stick Qualifier Final. They battled tough, skated hard and worked right to the final buzzer, but unfortunately lost 2-0 to Stratford; a heartbreaker that eliminated them from the tournament.
Their collection of trading pins will always be a reminder of their participation in this International tournament. Pins were traded with the teams they played and by individual players around the rink.
Although they lost in the quarters, it’s rewarding to know that these Eagles only lost to the two teams the competed in the final game. They only lost to the top two teams.
Great tournament Eagles! Be proud of your effort and determination!