Caledon minor atom AE Hawks win two tournaments

The minor atom AE Caledon Hawks were off to fast start to the season winning two tournaments. They captured the Markham Waxers Early Bird Tournament and then went on to take the hardware at the Georgetown Best of the Best tournament.

The minor atom AE Caledon Hawks were off to fast start to the season winning two tournaments.

The Hawks entered the Markham Waxers Early Bird Tournament Sept. 22-24 and came away champions, winning all five games.

The first challenge was against Ajax. The game ended 4-3 for the Hawks. Goalies Christian Ciraco and Koby Stronach provided the necessary stops to give Caledon the win.

In Game 2 the Hawks hammered Stouffville 9-2. The first period ended tied at 1 with two late goals by both teams. During the second and the third though, the Hawks opened up and scored eight more goals to the opponents one. The scoring was spread out between all the players. The game had a sour note as Karley Kitson was injured and will miss the next four to six weeks. The team wishes Karley a speedy recovery. Caledon next faced one of its rivals, Orangeville. The game proved to be tight with the Hawks scoring a single goal in each of the first two periods. During the third, the Hawks iced the game with two more goals giving Ciraco his first rep shutout.

The semifinal game had Caledon facing York Mills. Stronach and Ciraco provided another three periods of shutout hockey while the players netted six goals. The Caledon team was starting to play with much more confidence. Kyle Graham and Quinn Richardson had a strong game.

The final was against another league rival, Georgetown. The Hawks took control quickly with less than two minutes played with their first goal and never looked back. The game ended 5-1 for the Hawks. Jake Stronach and Zachary Wilson had a very productive tournament with five goals each. The rest of the scoring came from

Graham, Riley Telfer, Kevin Pleasance and Marc Anthony Simonetta with three each, Steven Smythe with two, and Richardson, Daniel Fusco, Carter Ledson and Callan McCorriston with one each. Agreat start for the new season.

More hardware

The Hawks went to Georgetown for the Best of the Best Tournament and came back with more hardware.

Caledon 7,

Whitby 1

The Hawks romped past Whitby 7-1 in their first game.

Zachary Wilson opened the scoring half way through the first, assisted by Kevin Pleasance and Steven Smythe. On the next Hawk goal, Sarah Power hit Riley Telfer with clearing pass who then fed Kyle Graham streaking up centre ice. He broke around the defender, deked the goalie and the period ended 2-0.

The Hawks kept control of the game in the second and Wilson and Graham scored their second goals each. Assisting were Smythe, Jake Stronach, Telfer and Daniel Fusco.

The third continued in the Hawks' favour when Pleasance was set up by Wilson and Smythe. It was Stronach's turn for the sixth goal of the game from Marc Anthony Simonetta and Power. Graham netted the seventh Hawk goal, completing his hat trick, with another point for Power. Whitby managed to end the shutout for Koby Stronach and Christian Ciraco while the Hawks fought a fiveminute penalty. The Hawks MVP was Sarah Power.

Caledon 5,

Cambridge 3

The Hawks got a look at a division rival in Cambridge and came out on top 5-3.

Pleasance opened the scoring quickly from Smythe. The first ended 1-0, but early in the second, Smythe took the puck off a faceoff and drove to the net and scored. Shortly after that, Smythe helped Quinn Richardson give the Hawks a 3-0 lead. Fusco later combined with Graham for another Hawk goal, but Cambridge managed one and the period ended 4-1.

Cambridge went on to score two more goals putting a scare into the Hawks, but Richardson scored his second from Pleasance and the threat was squashed. Both K. Stronach and Ciraco played a strong game in the Hawks net. The Hawks' MVP was Quinn Richardson. Georgetown 5,

Caledon 1

The Hawks then faced Georgetown, a team they had already beat this year. But the Hawks came out flat and the first period ended in a scoreless draw.

Georgetown scored three quick goals in the second. On a power play, Graham scored on a wraparound with one second remaining in the period, assisted by Telfer.

Georgetown scored two more in the third off some unlucky bounces ending the Hawk momentum.

The Hawks' MVP was Sarah Power.

Final Caledon 8,

Cambridge 2

The Hawks came out of the gate strong, shaking off the previous poor result, and scored two quick goals by Smythe and Telfer. Assisting were Wilson, Fusco and Graham. Cambridge scored two goals, one on a power play, to tie the game at the end of the period.

The second proved to be the battle for the championship with Koby Stronach making some key saves until the Hawks took over late in the period. Richardson, with passes from Smythe and Power, made an end-to-end rush and scored to put the Hawks in charge. With a

pass from Luca Dovigo, Jake Stronach set up Simonetta in front of the net for a one timer. Wilson made it 5-2 at the end of the second with assists to Smythe and Pleasance.

The Hawks continued their domination into the third when Wilson deflected a Pleasance shot into the net. Smythe and Carter Ledson combined short-handed for the seventh goal and Wilson from Telfer ended the scoring short-handed, giving Wilson a hat trick.

The Hawks' MVP was Steven Smythe.