The Jr. Black Bear’s first ever Jr. NLL tournament was a great success this past weekend, as the U13, U15, and U17 teams all left their marks. It’s time to recap how the weekend went for each team!
U13 Jr. Black Bears
The U13 Jr. Black Bears had no trouble finding success in their first ever Jr. NLL tournament. In six games, the team went 5-1 with a +41 goal differential. In their opening game against the Jr. Roughnecks, Rahontsa:waks Albany scored a hattrick, including both the first Jr. Black Bears goal in franchise history and the game-winning overtime goal. The U13 team took the victory 8-7.
The U13 Jr. Black Bears went unbeaten in the following four games, making it all the way to the final in their first ever tournament. The team finished first in their division and second in their age group, falling to the Jr. Rock 4-5 in overtime.
Lance White Jr., Sawyer MacDonell, Kane Nielsen, and Ra’kerenhatatie Jacobs were all named to the Beavers, the tournament’s Canadian Jr. NLL all-star team. Sawyer MacDonell scored the opening goal of the game, assisted by fellow Jr. Black Bear Kane Nielson. The Beavers faced off against their American counterparts, the Eagles, and came out victorious by a score of 14-9.
Scoring leader: Owen Thorimbert (10)
Assists leader: Ryan Harper (9)
Points leader: Ryan Harper (16)
Aug 16, Jr. Black Bears 8-7 Jr. Roughnecks (OT)
Aug 16, Jr. Black Bears 18-1 Jr. Swarm
Aug 17, Jr. Black Bears 9-4 Jr. Bandits
Aug 17, Jr. Black Bears 18-2 Jr. Thunderbirds
Aug 18, Jr. Black Bears 10-7 Jr. Bandits
Aug 18, Jr. Black Bears 4-5 Jr. Rock (OT)
Congratulations, U13 Jr. Black Bears!
U15 Jr. Black Bears
The U15 Jr. Black Bears made a splash at their first Jr. NLL tournament. The team played four games, and while they may have gone 0-4, they still found a way to make their mark. In their opening game of the tournament, Cody Gray scored the first ever U15 Jr. Black Bears goal. Further yet, the team was named the U15 Team of the Tournament.
Lawson Staye, Ty Delorey, Kennan Mitchell, and Calder Herfst were all named to the Beavers Jr. NLL all-star team. The Beavers faced off against their American counterparts, the Eagles, and came out victorious by a score of 14-9.
Scoring leader: Kieran McCullough (4)
Assists: William Maguire, Caleb McDonald (4)
Points: Kieran McCullough, Ty Delorey, Liam McDonald, William Maguire, Caleb McDonald (4)
Aug 16, Jr. Black Bears 3-5 Jr. Roughnecks
Aug 16, Jr. Black Bears 10-11 Jr. Swarm
Aug 17, Jr. Black Bears 5-6 Jr. Bandits
Aug 17, Jr. Black Bears 4-9 Jr. Rock
Way to go, U15 Jr. Black Bears!
U17 Jr. Black Bears
The U17 Jr. Black Bears played five games at their first Jr. NLL tournament, in which they went 1-4. In their opening game against the Jr. Knighthawks, Josh Morrison scored the first ever U17 Jr. Black Bears goal. That wasn’t the end of Josh’s tournament success, as he finished the weekend tied for first in scoring across the U17 age group.
Marcus Kiazyk, Caleb Gauthier, and Sam McLean were all named to the Beavers Jr. NLL all-star team. The Beavers faced off against their American counterparts, the Eagles, and came out victorious by a score of 14-9.
Scoring leader: Josh Morrison (11)
Assists: Joren Norton (4)
Points: Josh Morrison (12)
Aug 16, Jr. Black Bears 7-9 Jr. Knighthawks
Aug 16, Jr. Black Bears 4-8 Jr. Roughnecks
Aug 16, Jr. Black Bears 7-9 Jr. Bandits
Aug 17, Jr. Black Bears 14-4 Jr. Thunderbirds
Aug 17, Jr. Black Bears 4-8 Jr. Rock
Well done, U17 Jr. Black Bears!
Tournament MVPs
The U13, U15, and U17 Jr. Black Bears teams all named team MVPs for the tournament. Congratulations to Ra’kerenhatatie Jacobs and James Morrison (U13), Ty Delorey (U15) and Josh Morrison (U17)!
