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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, January 4, 2013 · 18 2012 Richard Bell Memorial Minor Hockey Tournament PHOTOS BY JAMES HOGGETT / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER LEADING THE WAY: Forward Adam Peruzza (left photo, with puck) and goaltender Christian Eyram (right photo) were both key figures in the Oakville minor bantam AE Rangers' triumph over the Guelph Jr. Storm in the final of last weekend's Richard Bell Memorial Minor Hockey Tournament. Peruzza recorded a hat trick and Eyram stopped all 16 shots he faced as the Rangers blanked the Storm 4-0, avenging a loss to Guelph in the opening game of the tournament. After opening with loss, Rangers roll to minor bantam AE title By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLEBEAVERSTAFF It looked like a good tune-up game against a familiar opponent. The Oakville Rangers had met the Guelph Jr. Storm three times in league play, winning each game decisively by a combined score of 15-3 while not allowing more than a single goal in any of the wins. But when the puck dropped Friday morning at the opening game of the minor bantam AE division at the Richard Bell Memorial Hockey Tournament... "Before we knew it we were down 3-1," said Oakville coach David Long. "We came out a little flatfooted." The Rangers rallied to tie the game 3-3, fell behind again and then tied it again, but Guelph would go on to win 5-4. It marked the most goals the Rangers have allowed in a game this season (they have surrendered just 23 goals in compiling a 22-2-1 record in Tri-County Hockey League play). Oakville would quickly return to its sound defensive ways, though. The Rangers allowed just two goals in winning their next four games, including a 2-1 semifinal win over Barrie. Guelph, meanwhile, also won its next four games to set up a rematch in Sunday's final. This time it was Oakville jumping out to a quick lead, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes, and with three goals by Adam Peruzza and a 16-save shutout by Christian Eyram, the Rangers avenged their earlier loss with a 4-0 victory. "The kids, perhaps, got a bit overconfident in that first game," Long said. "The five goals (against) was a bit of a wakeup call, but the kids responded." "We were all psyched and ready to play (in the final)," said Peruzza, who set up Matthew Long for Oakville's first goal and then scored his first of three two minutes later. "We knew we couldn't take them lightly." Oakville certainly had to be at its best when it ran into penalty trouble late in the opening period -- first taking a double minor, then another minor, giving the Storm a full two-minute, five-on-three advantage. But Eyram was equal to the challenge, making 10 saves in the opening period. His defence was also there to help. Nathan Taylor had two assists offensively in the game, but his biggest helper might have been clearing a loose puck out of the Oakville crease. "They did an amazing job. They challenged the forwards and they blocked a lot of shots and that helps me out a lot." Eyram said of his defence. "We were only up by two so even if we let in one goal, it gives them momentum. It could have been 2-2 in no time at all." Instead, it was Oakville gaining the momentum by killing off the penalties. Shortly after, Peruzza took a pass from Malcolm Myers, split two Storm defenders, deked the goalie and stuffed the puck inside the post before crashing into the end boards. Peruzza capped his hat trick in the third. Bryan Watson dug the puck out of the corner. His pass found Peruzza, who fired it home as he cut toward the front of the net. "This bodes well for the last week of the regular season and the playoffs," Long said of the tournament victory. Midgets regrouped for overtime Continued from page 17 STEVEN DER-GARABEDIAN / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER EYES ON THE PRIZE: Oakville Rangers forward Mitchell Jeffrey (in blue) heads to the Niagara Falls net during Sunday's minor midget A championship game at the Richard Bell Memorial Minor Hockey Tournament. Jeffrey and the Rangers edged the Canucks in a shootout. sidering they lead their Tri-County division and are ranked third in Ontario. Oakville coach Stephen Sweett was pleased to see how his players responded. "I told them before sudden death that we'd come into the third period down 1-0, and that we had won the period. The guys were like, `You're right.' And I thought we dominated the sudden death," Sweett said. "These are the best games. Winning games handily is no fun. This is fun." Bell agreed. "We dominate in our normal league. It's good to come out to tournaments and play games that are challenging," he said. "We see what our limits are." That could come in handy with the International Silver Stick tournament around the corner and the Ontario Minor Hockey Association playdowns set to begin next month. "We realized that if we come together and play as a team, we can win anything," Reale said. "We know we're capable of beating good teams." Matt McLachlin had Oakville's other goal in the championship game, and Chris Boushy tallied in the shootout. Bell made four straight saves after allowing a goal on Niagara Falls' initial shootout attempt. The Rangers finished the tournament with a 5-0-1 record, holding opponents to one goal or less in four of those contests. Oakville defeated the West Mall Lightning 6-0, tied the Burlington Bulldogs 0-0, downed the Newmarket Redmen 5-3 and whipped the Ancaster Avalanche 7-1 in round-robin play, then tamed the Bulldogs 3-1 in the semis.