The Snobelen Farms Huron-Bruce Blizzard took care of some unfinished business over the weekend, going undefeated in five games to win the u18 C/D championship at the Millbrook Stars minor hockey tournament.
A year ago, the Blizzard reached the finals of the Peterborough-area tourney only to fall to the Frontenac Flyers. In the 2024 edition of the tournament, Tanner Smith’s almost-airtight goaltending and a determined effort by the players in front of him led to four one-goal victories – including a 2-1 teeth-gnasher over the Delhi Rockets in the title game.
Colban Liddle scored what would stand up as the game-winning goal in the second period, blasting home a low shot with assists by Trace Armstrong and captain Justin Rintoul. Cade Moffat opened the scoring just over four minutes into the second, taking a Liddle pass and wiring a snap shot from the slot past Delhi goalie Ciera Bartik.
Smith’s shutout streak of almost 130 minutes came to a close in the final minute of the second period. But the Blizzard netminder stood tall in the third period with the support of the dogged determination of his defencemen and forwards.
Speaking of Smith, the goalie stopped two of three shots in the shootout while both Liddle and Colton Maki made good on their attempts to lift the Blizzard over the South Muskoka Bears 1-0 in Sunday morning’s semifinal.
Moffat’s goal and two apples led Huron-Bruce to a 4-1 win over the Brock Wild in the tournament opener Friday afternoon. Liddle had a goal and an assist while Colton Maki and Curtis Lotton also scored. Parker Armstrong added an assist.
Liddle’s conversion of a Moffat feed late in the second period lifted the Blizzard over South Muskoka 1-0 on Friday night. Maddox Burgess’s first-period goals, with assists by Liddle and Armstrong, stood up as the GWG in a 1-0 win over the Shallow Lake Lakers on Saturday night to complete the round robin.
Smith led all tournament goalies in shutouts while Armstrong was recognized as his team’s most sportsmanlike player after the championship game.
For the Blizzard, it was a second tournament triumph this season, the other coming in the Silver Stick regional event in Wingham back in November. It’s on to the WOAA Tier 2 playoffs for the locals, who’ll compete in a round robin with the AEMHA Ice Dogs, Bruce Peninsula Predators, Goderich Sailors, Listowel Cyclones, Minto Mad Dogs, Shallow Lake and Walkerton Capitals.
You can find the u18 Blizzard’s playoff schedule here.