Ace Bailey was recently ranked 25th on the Toronto Maple Leafs all-time list and this weekend the Stoney Creek Minor Hockey Association wrapped up their 31st annual Ace Bailey AE Tournament.
With eight divisional champions crowned, their largest division was their minor bantam division and the Whitby Wildcats walked away with those bragging rights after they edged out their Division B rivals, Northumberland Nighthawks, 1-0 Sunday afternoon.
The Wildcats completely ran the table this past weekend, while also stifling their opponents during the preliminary round, allowing only one goal in two games.
A tournament-opening 2-1 win against the Guelph Gryphons got the ball rolling. They would still be in the hunt for the Division B crown heading into their second round-robin game against the Flamborough Sabres.
Despite winning their second game as well, this time 1-0, it wouldn’t be enough to give them the top seed heading into the elimination games.
The aforementioned Nighthawks managed to find the back of the net six times, while only conceding once to give them the tie-break advantage.
Once Saturday rolled around, it signalled the beginning of elimination games and the eventual champs would have a date against the Dundas Blues.
Despite scoring three goals in their first two games, the offence came to life when it mattered most. A 5-2 final would ensure a spot in the semifinals Sunday against the Guelph Gryphons.
The Gryphons went winless during their round-robin action Friday, but won when they need it most in the quarters, eliminating the Barrie Colts with a 2-1 victory.
Unfortunately, that would be their only win of the tournament. In a much closer affair than their quarterfinal matchup against the Blues, the Wildcats once again relied on their stifling defence to shut out the Gryphons 1-0 on their way to the championship game later that afternoon.
While the Nighthawks offence was carrying them throughout their previous four games, totalling 16 over that span which included a 6-0 drumming over the Ajax Knights, it couldn’t seem to ignite once again in the most important game of the tournament.
As cliché as it sounds, once again, the Wildcats proved that defence wins championships.