GUELPH JR. STORM MINOR ATOM AAA HOCKEY TEAM GETS GOLD AT THE OMHA CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

RICHMOND HILL,ON –On March 24, 2002, the Guelph Jr. Storm Minor Atom AAA hockey team brought home the AAA OMHA Gold Medal. It has been 22 years since a Guelph AAA hockey team won the gold medal in the OMHA’s (Ontario Minor Hockey Association). That team was the Major Pee Wee team of 1979-1980.

The Guelph Jr. Storm team were the underdog going into the Gold Medal game against York Simcoe Express having lost to them 7-0 during one of the round-robin championship tournament games. The other championship teams were: Richmond Hill Stars, Ajax/Pickering Raiders, and Brampton Battalion. Guelph’s first game was against Brampton winning 5-4. Goals scored by: Nick Trecapelli, GianPaul Delle Donne, Elliot Lane, and Chirs Pierog (2). Assists by: Pierog, Ryan Vandermeer, Michael Cazzola (3), Lane (2), Anthony Luis, and Delle Donne. Guelph won 6-3 against Richmond Hill. Goals scored by: Cazzola (2), Simon Cox, Pierog (2), and Lane. Assists by: Michael Van Ooteghem, Cazzola (2), Mike Charbonneau, and Mark Brunskill. It was a 7-3 win for Guelph against Ajax/Pickering (they only needed a tie or a win to be in the Gold medal round). Goals scored by: Luis (2), Lane (2), Delle Donne, Cazzola (2). Assists by: Lane (3), Jesse White, Delle Donne (3), Joshua McFadden, and Cazzola. In the championship gold medal game it was a 2-0 win for Guelph with Cazzola scoring both goals and assists went to McFadden, Van Ooteghem and James Prigione. Prigione, goalie, was awarded the MVP honours.

During their regular season the Minor Atom AAA team was the team to beat with 23 wins, 7 losses, and 2 ties. Guelph ended their regular season in second place by only 3 points. In the OMHA playdowns the first series was against the St. Catharines’ Sabres. Guelph won in three straight games (best out of five): 6-1, 7-1, and 9-0. The Burlington Eagles were Guelph’s next challenge…the winner of this series won themselves a spot in the OMHA Championship Tournament. Guelph won in four straight games (best out of seven): 3-2, 7-3, 5-3, and 5-2. Guelph Jr. Storm Minor Atom AAA finished their undefeated winning streak during the OMHA Playdowns. For the second year in a row this team headed to Richmond Hill, Ontario where the AAA Championship Tournament was hosted. Last year, while this team was Major Novice AAA, they were the only AAA Guelph team to win a medal in the OMHA’s (Bronze).

The great coaching skills from Helene Plamondon, head coach, Rob Cazzola, Tony Luis, assistant coaches, and trainer John Charbonneau didn’t go unnoticed. Plamondon, is one of the most demanded coach in the Guelph Minor Hockey Association. She brings with her 12 years of coaching experience to the GMHA as well as having been an intermediate coach for the U of G women’s hockey team for 2 years. She has been instructing at the very famous L’Ecole du Hockey de Captial Internationale for 23 years in her native Quebec City where some NHL hockey players once came through and now bring their children (Patrick Roy). Helene, a physical education teacher at St. Renee Goupil French School, has won a AAA OMHA Bronze medal with this same team last year and has also sent previous teams to the OMHA semi-finals. For the last two years, she has also coached girls minor hockey.

The Guelph Storm Jr. A club will be honouring the city’s heroes at Tuesday’s (March 26^th) game during pre-game ceremonies.

The Gold Medal Winners automatically host the next year’s OMHA Tournament of Champions. Therefore, Guelph will be buzzing with more hockey activity next year in March when the Guelph Jr. Storm Minor Pee Wee AAA team defend their title. This year’s 17 superstar hockey players are: David Bartolomucci, Steven Bolton, Mark Brunskill, Michael Cazzola, Michael Charbonneau, Simon Cox, GianPaul Delle Donne, David Hearn, Elliot Lane, Anthony Luis, Joshua McFadden, Chris Pierog, James Prigione, Nick Trecapelli, Ryan Vandermeer, Michael Van Ooteghem, and Jesse White.