RIVALRIES RENEWED BEFORE BREAK
Busy week in high school hockey with annual tournament and showcase games
High school hockey in the area will skate into the Christmas break in a big way this week. Rivalry week in WECSSAA got started on Monday with the 13th annual Southern Ontario High School Hockey Classic, which is taking place on all four ice pads at the WFCU Centre.
“It’s good because it’s the last week of school,” Brennan Cardinals head coach and tournament director Mark McEachern said. “It’s a good feel into the Christmas holiday.”
This tournament was started by Riverside high school as the Rebel Cup with four boys teams playing out of Forest Glade Arena.
A year later, McEachern came on board and suggested adding a girls division. Three years later, McEachern took over the event and it has become a fundraiser for the Brennan hockey team. This year’s tournament will feature a record 22 teams with 12 in the boys’ division and 10 in the girls’ division with a total of 42 games to be played.
“Two years ago, it was held in January and we moved it to December,” McEachern said. “When we did that, it seemed to grow rapidly.”
Brennan, the St. Anne Saints, Holy Names Knights, L’Essor Aigles, St. Joseph Lasers, Essex Red Raiders, Chatham-Kent Hawks and Sarnia St. Patrick Fighting Irish will compete in both the boys’ and girls’ division. The Sandwich Sabres, General Amherst Generals, Belle River Nobles and Toronto Northern Red Knights round out the boys’ field, while the Villanova Wildcats and Kingsville Cavaliers complete the girls’ draw.
The boys are competing in three divisions featuring four teams each. The top six teams advance to the playoffs, with the top two teams out of pool play getting a bye into the semifinals. The girls’ teams play two games and are then reseeded with the top six getting a bye while the final four teams will play a qualifying game to get to quarter-final play. “You’re looking at three to five games for each team on the boys’ side and three to six games possibly for the girls,” McEachern said. While the tournament finishes on Tuesday, it’s also rivalry week for the local league, starting with the Leamington Lions and Cardinal Carter Cougars facing off in boys’ hockey on Tuesday at the Unico Rink.
On Thursday, the Mayor’s Cup plays out in LaSalle at the Vollmer Complex. The Sabres and Wildcats play on the girls’ side at noon while the boys teams face off at 1:30 p.m.
In Lakeshore, the Nobles and Aigles battle in the Winter Warm Games at the Atlas Tube Centre. The girls’ game is set for 6 p.m. and the boys will play at 7 p.m. with the entry fee a cash donation or gently used winter clothing.
On Friday, the final match before the Christmas break will be the 25th annual Fr. Zakoor Catholic Cup between the Lasers and Cardinals at the WFCU Centre.
Teams will be wearing special 25th anniversary jerseys, with the Lasers having won the last three meetings, including a 3-0 win last year.
“St. Joe’s has played well the last few years,” McEachern said. Overall, Brennan leads the series with a 14-7-3 record. After the game, a get-together will be held at Average Joe’s at 7 p.m. for all former Brennan and St. Joseph players.
Two years ago, it was held in January and we moved it to December. When we did that, it seemed to grow rapidly.