Novice Flyers one victory away from title

Mar 15, 2017

With 6-3 and 7-1 victories on Saturday and Sunday respectively, the Frontenac Novice (8 years old and under) Flyers need only one more win to take the Lou Jeffries Trophy, as champions of their respective EOMHL division.

The Flyers travel back to Wasaga Beach Friday (March 24, 6 p.m. game start, Game 4, if necessary, is March 19 at 2:30 p.m. in Piccadilly) to play the Stars in what could be their final game of the season. (In the finals, the first team to reach 6 points wins and the Flyers are up 4-0 after their wins in the first two games.)

In the Saturday game, the Flyers opened the scoring in the first and never looked back getting goals from Cole Rowat (2), Jack Craig (2), Kayson Antoine and Mason Norgaard.

In the Sunday game at Wasaga Beach, Craig (2), Shane Kennedy (2), Antoine, Norgaard and Zac Gardiner-Kay handled the scoring duties.

But scoring prowess aside, this Flyers team seems to be more opportunistic than offense-minded and their strong suit is playing a positional game with strong basics.

“That is our game,” said head coach Jamie Craig. “Passing, playing positional hockey and skating.

“We’ve (including asst. coach Don Rowat) had most of these players for three years and that’s what we’ve stressed.”

And there’s another vital cog in the Flyers machine — goalie Hayden Consack.

“He’s been our backbone,” said Craig, singling out Consack as instrumental in the Saturday win (all three Wasaga Beach goals were on the power play).

Consack was front and centre in the Sunday win as well, allowing only a single tally but once again it was strong positional play contributing to team success.

“It (Sunday) was our best all-round team game this season,” Craig said.

Just getting to the final is “a bit new for these guys” Craig said but it bodes well for the future of the Frontenac Minor Hockey system.

“I’m very happy and proud of these guys,” Craig said. “And there are a lot of people involved in their success.

“(FMH president) Al Pixley is doing a helluva job.”