The Glancaster Bombers defeated the Brantford 99ers 2-1 at the 53rd annual Wayne Gretzky International Hockey Tournament on Monday, December 30, 2024.
The majority of the first period saw both teams working on the defensive, taking turns controlling the puck and fighting back.
Despite a few scoring chances for either team, it was Brantford’s Matthew MacLean, with an assist from Noah Bullock, who scored the first goal of the game, while shorthanded, with just over three minutes left in the first.
Going into the second, tensions were high as both teams tried for several chances on the others’ net.
Despite Glancaster having a five to three advantage around the eight minute mark, the period ended with the 99ers keeping their 1-0 lead.
Moving into third, both teams continued to give it their all, each having several attempts on the net but deterred by defense.
With just over three minutes left in the game, it was Glancaster’s Jackson Heywood who got the Bombers on the board, bringing the score 1-1.
While the pressure mounted to break the tie, it was Simon Feruglio who managed to score another goal with just 46 seconds left, solidifying Glancaster’s win with a 2-1 lead.
After the game, Glenn Crisostomo, Head Coach for the 99ers, spoke about the loss, saying he was proud of his team’s effort.
“You know, it was two good teams that made it to the finals and obviously, Glancaster deserved the win with the extra point, but our boys battled hard,” he said. “Unfortunately, with a penalty in the last minute like that, if you give the other team an advantage, someone’s going to come out on top and unfortunately, it wasn’t us.”
Crisostomo added that despite the loss, he was proud of his team and how they’ve grown.
“This was a good turning point for them,” he said. “We had some ups and downs since the beginning of September, but these boys have been coming together as a team rather than just individuals and they’re really gelling as a group which is the one thing I want coming into tournaments like this. I’m very proud of them and I’m hoping for bigger things come the new year.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
