This past weekend, the Distinct U9C Lightning participated in their first full-ice tournament finishing in fourth place out of six teams.
The Lightning fell to a talented St. Mary’s Rock team in the tournament opener on Friday. Emmy Meron backstopped the team and Alayna Walton earned player of the game for her exceptional defensive play. The next morning the Lightning faced off against the South Huron Sabres, who are currently first in the U9C season standings. The talented Sabres controlled much of the game leading to a well earned victory. The Sabres peppered goalie Lauren Parrott who made numerous big saves to keep the score respectable, earning player of the game. Later that afternoon, the Lightning had an opportunity to avenge a loss suffered to the Chatham-Kent Crush only a week earlier. The squad played a solid defensive game winning 2-1. The opening goal was scored by Andi Lauszus who scored five hole on a partial break. The Crush would tie the game shortly after, but the Lightning would regain the lead on a breakaway goal scored by Brenna Ferguson who raced down the wing and went blocker side on the goalie. Makayla Barker made some key saves late in the game earning player of the game nods. This win allowed the team to jump in the standings to earn a spot in the 3rd place game the next day against the winner of the skills competition, the Saugeen Shores Storm. The Storm proved to be too much for the Lightning and walked away with the third place position. Isabel Martin earned player of the game with her continued solid-play throughout the tournament. Overall, the team gained some valuable experience and enjoyed the team bonding experience. The group hopes that this will supply some momentum for a strong finish to their season.