Minor Bantam AA Toros Bring Home Bronze, News (Clarington Minor Hockey Association)

Despite the charms and distractions of Montreal and La Belle Province, the boys of the Minor Bantam AA Toros harnessed their collective energy and focus just enough to earn them some much deserved tournament hardware.

A tie and a loss on the first day of the Montreal Can-Am tournament, to the Boston Advantage and St Lawrence Steel respectively, were somewhat of a disappointment. Certainly, the way these boys have shown that they can play, lead their parents and coaches to believe that both games were theirs to lose.

Regardless, it's how a team responds to adversity that determines its character. So, with little hope of playing for a gold medal, the boys banded together and elevated their play with seeming disregard for the end result; simply just to put in a good effort and really move that puck around. They did so with abandon, winning their final game of the round robin portion of the tournament and the bronze medal game, both vs the 95 Giants and in convincing style. Most of the bronze medal game was spent in the opposing team's end, and only a fluky deflection off a skate prevented the shutout. Without the truly stellar play of the Giants' goaltender, the game would most certainly have been a rout.

A big thank you goes out to the team's management and coaching staff, for a very well organized trip to Montreal. Families had a chance to watch the Canadiens play vs the Vegas Golden Knights and really enjoy some of the culture and delicious food that the Downtown has to offer. Friendships were formed and deepened. "Misplaced" kids and parents were always soon found, and almost nobody was late (by much).

Thanks Toros, Managers, Coaches, Parents, Grand-Parents and siblings for a fantastic and memorable experience!