We’re thrilled to share that our team was recently featured in the newspaper! This recognition is a testament to the incredible effort and dedication every player has been putting in, both on and off the ice. Earning two wins over the weekend was a fantastic accomplishment, and we’re grateful to have our hard work acknowledged in the community.
U-12B Gold Coaches
See article written by Jim Stewart Below:
Kaelen Butler and John Maynard tallied
two goals each to lead the U12 Aurora
Tigers to a convincing 5-2 win over the
Newmarket Renegades in “The Battle of
Yonge Street” on Saturday afternoon at the
ACC.
The annual spirit-raising and fundraising
event—in support of Covenant House—
pits rep teams from Newmarket and Aurora
in a home-and-away series for “bragging
rights,” according to AMHA VP Holly
Windle.
“Every year, we choose a weekend where
we can do a series of home and away games
with Newmarket. We total the points earned
by all the teams and the winning association
gets to hang their jersey in the head office
of the losing association for the year. It’s a
BY JIM STEWART
fun weekend. Beyond the good-natured
rivalry and spirit of competition, the more
important purpose is to raise money for
Covenant House. Half the proceeds of
our 50/50 draw are donated to Covenant
House to help homeless youth.”
After the opening ceremonies, featuring
a slate of dignitaries from both hockey
associations and a ceremonial puck drop
presided over by Mayor Tom Mrakas,
the young Tigers and Renegades’ spirited
tilt added another chapter to the storied
historical rivalry between Aurora and
Newmarket.
Tigers’ goaltender Caiden
Gnanapragasam made a big save to open
the entertaining contest when he thwarted
a clear-cut breakaway created by a botched
line change by Aurora. However, the redjerseyed Renegades took a 1-0 lead when
Nolan Kimla fired a high shot that fluttered
under the crossbar three minutes into the
first period.
Although the Renegades kept the Tigers
hemmed in the own end for most of the
opening frame, the white-clad home side
managed to sustain pressure on the visitors
and only a pair of spectacular saves by
Newmarket netminder Camden Leblanc
kept Aurora scoreless.
Remarkably, the Tigers got on the
scoreboard while killing a penalty when
Butler banged home the tying goal from the
slot as the Renegades’ power play seemed
discombobulated by Aurora’s PK pressure.
The teams took their 1-1 tie into the first
intermission.
In the first minute of the middle
frame, Butler stickhandled through three
Renegades with a brilliant individual effort,
and slid the puck past Leblanc to give Aurora
their first lead of the game.
Renegades’ forward Michael
Bellissimo banged home a rebound
past Gnanapragasam at 12:41 to pull
Newmarket into a 2-2 tie, but Maynard took
a nice centering pass at 8:54 and buried the
biscuit to restore Aurora’s lead.
With 40.3 seconds left in the second
period, Aurora forward Daniel Tropiano
rifled a wrist shot past Leblanc and just
under the crossbar to give the Tigers a twogoal cushion heading into the third period.
Two minutes into the final frame,
Maynard tallied his second goal of the game
from a goal mouth scramble to provide
Aurora’s margin of victory in front of over
150 clamoring fans at the ACC.