Ramblings From Coach Shawn
It’s funny how something just comes out of your mouth and it fits. One day I walked into the dressing room and called the kids my minions and since we wear yellow jerseys it kind of fit with the reference from Despicable Me. It has been a great season. I hadn’t been a head coach since I was a teenager before I left Corunna and I am glad I dove back into it this year. Great kids, Great parents.. Not any real hassles which is all a coach can ask for and no one yelled at me J At any rate I do want to thank Craig Hunt our Assistant coach, Sheri Crowley and Susan Aliperti as our trainers and Deb Blue as our manager. A tip of the cap to Kathy Williamson for being the hockey mom and to Kyler and Isaac for helping our team when they could. I feel our team learned some things this season that will help them as they progress in their hockey careers whether for fun or more serious endeavors. As kid’s age some lose interest and some if they are like me will play/coach/ref be involved in hockey in one way, shape or form for the rest of their lives. With the makeup of the team it was a varied group from our two first year kids and 3 second year kids to some that have been playing since they were 4 or 5. So to accomplish a Tri-county Consolation Title is a good representation of the team we had. Do I think we had the horses to win a few more games?? Yes.. But as the end of the day if the kids want to play hockey next year… Mission Accomplished. I wanted to take a minute before the season ends to talk about each player before they move on to Baseball, Soccer, Xbox, Minecraft or whatever the summer will bring. At the end of it all if everyone had fun and returns to hockey next year my job is complete… Only time will tell.
#3 Josh Raymond (JR) GP 36 G 3 A 5 PTS 8 PIM 57
Josh had a bit of a tough time going back to non-body contact after being in Peewee last year. It started to become a running commentary on when he was going to get a penalty every game. Josh is a big kid and most of his penalties came from that alone. Josh was solid on D all year. I had known Josh from 2 years ago and knew that he could get the job done on the Blue line for us. If I had to rate Josh’s sense of humor. Dry as a James Bond Martini… Good Luck to Josh next year when he gets to use that big frame of his to his advantage in Bantam. Don’t forget you have to sit the first two next year ;P
#4 Josh Sterling. GP 35 G 2 A 6 PTS 8 PIM 12
The other Josh or is Raymond the other Josh??? Was our other second year defenseman. Josh it the Twerk king. Not that anyone wanted to see it but he was more than happy to show off his Twerk every chance he got. Josh learned to hold on to the puck a little longer to make a better play… Sometimes too long but I was more happy to see him thinking than just throwing it away. I had also known Josh Sterling from two years ago on the Atom AE team and I hope that he doesn’t get lost in the world of video games and continues to play for years to come. The potential is there is he chooses to work on it.
#5 Coltan Beauvais. GP 37 G 8 A 5 PTS 13 PIM 14
Does he really need a first name? Beauvais is all he gets called. First off congrats to Coltan on being the only kid on the entire team to make every single game this season. Coltan was one of the two Assistant Captains on the team. The reason I chose Coltan was his passion and his defensive play. Coltan was my best back checker on the team. Every team needs a defensive forward and Coltan fit that role perfectly. He also picked up a few trick at centre and grabbed a few assists with wins on the draw. Coltan is also one of the fiercest competitors I know. My one piece of advice is have FUN!!! Coltan needs to continue to work on his puck control and skating and if Andy keeps making that outdoor rink it will come along that much faster. I knew Coltan from baseball two years ago and I was little worried about his concentration level.. But Coltan congrats on proving me wrong! See you in peewee next year.
#6 Keaton Frayne (Kiki) GP 29 G 29 A 16 PTS 45 PIM 33
Keaton stayed in the Mooretown family despite a move to Sarnia and I was glad he did. We lost Keaton for most of the playoffs due to Mono and lost him for 3 games dues to suspension. Otherwise he was there J Keaton uses that long reach and long stride to his advantage and finished second in scoring despite missing those games. One piece of advice if you ever travel with Keaton make sure he has something to eat. Keaton showed he has a bit of an aggressive side which may be a good thing or a bad thing in Bantam next year. Only time will tell. Keaton can make things happen when he puts his mind to it.. So Keaton come ready to play hard every shift and you will have even more success than you had this season.
#7 Nolan Johnston (Handsy) GP 36 G 10 A 17 PTS 27 PIM 4
Nolan came to us from Wallaceburg this season. Glad to have him. Now we could go on all day about Nolan’s stature but he knows that already. Nolan is a funny kid who when given the chance to use them has great puck handling abilities. He has a nose for the net and isn’t afraid to get dirty to get a goal in front of the net. He also garnered the second most assists on the team because of his ability to thread the needle with the puck to set up others. Nolan I have told you before that I was always the smallest guy on my team and if you keep at it you will always find a way to be successful. Hope we can keep you in Mooretown next season and keep smiling!
#8 Cameron Crowley GP 35 G 1 A 7 PTS 8 PIM 0
Everyone needs a stay at home defenseman and Cam fit that to a tee. Cam just wanted to be sure the puck got out of our end and did that every chance he got. Cam certainly made sure I was paying attention in the dressing room. Seems he had something to ask me every time he was at the rink. Cam was another kid that we had met 2 years ago on the Atom Tri county team and seems to me he was a little more quiet then J Cam just needs to learn to slow down the game and make good decisions with the puck something he got better at as the season went on. Keep working on it Cam. Remember if you make a mistake trying to make the right play it’s a good mistake. See you in Peewee next year Cam.
#9 Braeden Hunt (B) GP 36 G 10 A 7 PTS 17 PIM 10
Braeden seemed to find his goal scoring touch in the playoffs scoring half his goals for the year in those 8 games. It looked like he was finally grasping the concept of staying in position and going hard to the net. The trick is to keep that temper under control. Braeden has the ability to turn an opposing player into to his public enemy number one in seconds. Now if we could turn that into puck aggression and B could be a force to reckon with. Fun kid… wants to be a leader and can be if he can put it all together. Just remember stick handling can slow you down when you skate. See you next year in Peewee.
#10 Colton Williamson GP 33 G 3 A 8 PTS 11 PIM 30
Colton was our other Assistant Captain. He earned that by being the one kid that I felt learned and listened. If Colton was shown something in one practice he used it in the next game. He should be named "sponge". Colton was rock solid on D and could be a bigger power offensively with a bit more work. I think the biggest surprise to me was the 30 minutes in penalties… However since he is a soccer goalies I think his goalie protective instinct may have been a little over active. Colton you are progressing well. Keep skating and don’t be afraid to rush a little more. See you next year in Peewee.
#11 Anthony Plain (Tony Ross/Ant) GP 35 G 1 A 14 PTS 15 PIM 10
Anthony was a first year player in Mooretown. To be honest a brave move starting hockey in Peewee and I give Anthony full marks for doing it. Anthony improved by leaps and bound as the season went on and as he got more confident his puck chasing ability improved as well. Anthony wasn’t afraid to mix it up either as was seen in a game in Dresden where he got a little revenge with a text book check on a kid who hit him from behind earlier in the game. He even asked if it was OK… at this point I would like to site the coach on the bench confidentiality clause as to what my answer was J. As skating improves Stick handling will make Anthony a better player. Hope to see you back next year Anthony as you will move up to Bantam.
#12 MacKenzie Lumley (Mack) GP 36 G 14 A 15 PTS 29 PIM 6
So I am not sure if anyone knows this but MacKenzie does talk.. Not very often mind you but he does have a voice. Glad to see him carrying his own equipment J now if we can just get him to tie his skates. Mack was our third leading scorer on the team including six in the playoffs. Being as quiet as he is he is also quiet on the ice and sometimes that can fool you. I saw a vast improvement in MacKenzie’s understanding of the game. He learned that sometimes it is better to pass than score and that back checking is a big thing if you are a centre. Mission accomplished. Now we just have to work on Mack’s shooting and he will score lots more. Well done Mackenzie.. Believe me I noticed.
#13 Chloe Plain GP 35 G 2 A 4 PTS 6 PIM 0
The Bravest kid on the team. Think about it… A. Girl B. First year of hockey at the peewee level C. Did I mention she was the only girl on the team? Chloe makes me laugh and I feel sorry for any boy who decides to be her GF… That boy is in trouble. On the hockey side of things Chloe also improved with every skate. Hockey is a fast game and it takes a while to learn it. Chloe learned that standing in front of the net gets results and that sometimes you fall down when you go after the puck. Skating and Stick handling go hand in hand as you get better at one the other will come along too. A few more connections with the puck and a few more goals to celebrate. Hope to see Chloe back in Peewee next year… But think about the girls’ side as well.
#14 Dallas Mesko GP 36 G 2 A 13 PTS 15 PIM 6
Dallas may look small but there is a lot of heart in there. Dallas was one kid I knew would be on the wide side of the ice every time. He learned that he wasn’t going to get killed every time he went after the puck and while he did have his share of injuries he was ready for the next shift once he dusted himself off. Dallas loved to work on the slap shot. But don’t forget that more NHL players score with a wrist shot or a good snap shot than the clapper. Dallas has picked up a lot in 2 years of hockey and with the positioning idea conquered he will get more chances with every game he plays. See you in Peewee next year Dal.
#15 Dominic Aliperti (Dom/That Guy) GP 36 G 94 A 25 PTS 119 PIMS 40
Pretty sick stats wouldn’t you say? Yes, as Dominic went so did our team. Dominic accounted for 52% of our goals and 37 % of our points. Dom came to Mooretown from Wallaceburg this season and due to a paper work miscue ended up in Tricounty. I wasn’t sure how to take Dominic after the first practice. But he strives to be the life of the party. I made Dom Captain not for his prowess with the puck but he truly was the kid who spoke up and wanted his team mates to succeed. The only stat Dominic didn’t lead was penalty minutes and that was only because I laid down the law at the beginning of the year and he followed it. Dominic should be a Rep or AE player but in order to make that jump and be a force a little more puck movement and believe it or not a little better finish will put him there. Good Luck in Bantam next year Dom… Keep your head up!!!!
#31 Colin Gladwish
In Net GP 34 MP 995 SA 619 GA 108 GAA 4.1 S% 84.145 W 14 L 14 T 6 SO 1
Out GP 1 G 1 A 1 PTS 2 PIM 2
It is always hard to be the coach’s son. Colin didn’t think he could play for me as his coach. But on the way to a Wings game the other night I got a passing grade. Phew! Colin played AE and Tricounty his first year and Rep last year. With 4 teams and 4 goalies this was Colin’s first chance to be the only goalie on the team. Colin made some saves that made you go “WOW” and then let in one that made you go “UMM” such is the life of a goalie. Unfortunately I did not get Colin much in the way of goaltending coaching but he seemed to improve a few things on his own from the coaching he did get. It took until the end of the season to convince him to try a right handed stick since he is a left handed goal tender. Overall I thought Colin had a good year and was a lot happier this season than he was last season and that is all I care about. Colin uses his agility and flexibility to make up for his stature and I feel he was as good as any goalie at the Tricounty level. It will be up to Colin where he plays next season.