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Squirts #1 at Flyers tourney
Published 6:43am Tuesday, March 1, 2011The Minnesota Motor Squirt Hockey team had plenty to celebrate this weekend when taking part in the Fargo Flyer’s Squirt International Hockey Tournament. The determined young Otters team fought their way back after suffering two initial losses on Friday’s opener day against St. Michael-Albertville and Thunder Bay Canada to eventually claim title as Bracket B Diamond Champions.
Saturday morning brought renewed energy and determination for the Minnesota Motor Squirts and they earned their first win of the tournament against the Fargo Flyers White team in a 3-1 victory. A second Saturday evening game keep their winning streak going when they faced off against Waconia and earned a second victory for the day with a final score of 5-2.
By game time at noon on Sunday the Fergus Falls Otter youth team was fully charged and ready for the Bracket Championship game where they took on Monticello. The only goal of the game came for Fergus Falls in the first period from a breakaway by Defensemen Drew Sillerud. Throughout the remainder of the tense game both teams keep fans on their toes but Minnesota Motor Squirt offense and defense played stonewall hockey shutting down nearly every scoring opportunity for the frustrated Monticello Squirts. Goaltender Scott VanVoorhis was exceptionally strong between the pipes clearing out or covering every puck put on him during Sunday’s big game earning him a championship game shutout.
Coach Pat Connelly noted that, “They played with passion, worked as a team, and found victory through persistence and adversity. This weekend is the result of over five months of commitment, dedication, teamwork, and individual sacrifices. I am so proud of these young men! They not only won a champion trophy for playing hard, they earned a level of respect worthy of champions!”
The Fargo Flyers Squirt International Tournament is the largest Squirt Hockey Tournament in the world and this year hosted 128 Squirt
Hockey teams from 11 states and Canada at nine rinks throughout the Fargo-Moorhead region.
