The North Reading Squirts celebrate their victory at the CAN/AM Hockey Tournament in Lake Place, NY last weekend. (Courtesy Photo)
Published in the March 23, 2017 edition
LAKE PLACID, NY – On March 8th, the majestic winter village of Lake Placid, New York welcomed the North Reading Hornets Squirt hockey team for the 2017 CAN/AM Hockey Tournament. Following the scenic drive through the Adirondacks, the team squared off against their first opponent, the New Jersey Junior Devils. The Hornets began the tournament in powerful fashion, handily controlling the game with a 12-0 victory. 8 different Hornets recorded a goal in this first contest. Game #2 proved to be a bit more of a challenge for the home town team. The Junior Rangers, hailing from Rye, New York, made the trip to Lake Placid ready to play. North Reading jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, anchored by the goaltending performance of superstar, Marty Pierce. The New Yorkers proved to be a very determined team, clawing their way back with 3 third period goals. The high flying defensive core of Lilly McInerney, Ava Baker, Max Forristall and Rowan Dunbar proceeded to “drop the hammer”, thwarting any further Rangers’ advance, and following an empty netter, the Hornets completed a 5-3 victory. Having knocked off the Rangers and Devils, the Hornets faced another opponent from the Garden State, the Montclair Blues in game #3 of the tournament. Continuing with their winning ways, North Reading jumped out to an early lead. The herculean efforts of brothers Max and Duncan Gulino resulted in a goal for each to open the scoring. Slow and steady won the race as the Hornets wore down the Blues, denying any scoring opportunity, with Marty Pierce nabbing his second shutout of the tournament with a 6-0 win. Perhaps the team’s sharpest game of the campaign was later that afternoon, facing the rough and tumble Eagles hailing from Clifton Park, NY. A raucous crowd filled the bitterly cold Saranac Lake Civic Center. Hornet stars, Theo Sfikas and Andrew Dunbar, opened the game with nearly consecutive “Bobby Orr-like” coast to coast rushes, giving North Reading a firm 2-0 lead. The speedy wingers, Brendan Rooney, Luke Baker, Tommy Gazda and Nolan Degregorio, added to their lofty scoresheets, each netting a goal to contribute to an impressive 9-1 triumph. The North Reading Hornets closed out the round robin portion of the tournament 4-0-0, outscoring their opponents 32 – 4, earning them a spot in the Gold medal game on Sunday. At Herb Brooks Arena, the site of the most remarkable sporting event in USA athletic history, our home town heroes faced off in a rematch against the New York Rye Rangers. This was a game for the ages! The underdog Rangers caught the Hornets off guard with an early goal, the first time in Lake Placid that our team was behind. The Hornets stayed determined against a very prepared opponent, evening the score 1-1 late in the first period. After a scoreless second period of end to end action and the Rangers net minder turning away a barrage of North Reading shots, the 2 teams entered the 3rd period in a “winner take all” contest. With 4 minutes to go in the 3rd period, the Rangers were able to break through and crack the Hornets stout defense, taking a heart-wrenching 2-1 lead late into the game. With superb direction and strategy by Head coach, Richard “Digger” Degregorio, assisted by Marty Pierce, Jamey McInerney, Dave Forristall, Kevin Dunbar and Nick Sfikas, North Reading began the most improbable of comebacks. With the goalie pulled, Andrew Dunbar, assisted by Theo Sfikas, tallied the game tying goal with 2.7 second left on the clock. The roof of the Olympic Center shook as the Hornets Boosters celebrated. Off to overtime for the Rangers and Hornets, where in the 3rd extra session, the dynamic duo of Sfikas and Dunbar completed one of the most amazing sport moments in North Reading Squirt Hockey history, scoring to win the Gold Medal. At the site of the original “Miracle On Ice” where 37 years earlier, a similar group of energetic youngsters overcame the odds, our beloved Hornets showed their heart and character, refusing to lose, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in a most storybook fashion. Congratulations to all of the players, parents, fans and supporters of our Hornets. A trip not soon to be forgotten!
