Inclement weather couldn’t hold back the U16AA Rangers from boarding the team bus and making their way to Newmarket for the 2023 International Silver Stick Tournament. Teams from all over Ontario including six from the United States (Alaska, California, Florida, Maryland, Philadelphia and Wyoming) were competing for the chance to have their team’s name featured in the Hockey Hall of Fame for a year. Round robin play had the boys take on Montgomery Ice Devils from Maryland in a hard-fought come from behind 3-2 victory which set the tone for the weekend. Next, we took on the host Newmarket Renegades resulting in a 2-1 win. Whitby was next on our list with a gritty 2-0 victory.
Philadelphia was the boys next challenge resulting in a 4-1 win and giving the Rangers the top spot in the division and the tournament at 4-0. For the semi-finals we were matched with Philadelphia once again. The boys were down 4-2 late in the third period when they dug down deep and came up with four unanswered goals, including an empty netter to move on to the finals 6-4.
The finals had us facing a tough Burlington Eagles team who tallied first forcing the boys to come from behind once again but they kept pushing as ultimately, they were crowned champs 4-1. This capped off an amazing weekend where the team finish 6-0. Thanks to @DerekHodgsonPhotography for capturing all the amazing images for a lifetime of memories. #LetsGoRangers
