Atom Flyers tops in province, PeeWees and Bantams oh so close

Craig Bakay | Mar 28, 2018

The Frontenac Atom Flyers came back from Walkerton last weekend with the CC championship trophy, the icing on the cake of what turned out to be one of the most successful seasons in Frontenac Minor Hockey history.

After defeating the Capitals 5-4 and 5-4 in the two games of the finals at Frontenac Arena the previous weekend, the Flyers kept up the pace and downed Walkerton 4-3 on the Caps’ home ice Saturday.

“It (Game 3) was a pretty tough game up there but our boys played hard and prevailed,” said Head Coach Jamie Craig. “We weren’t just one guy, this was a total team effort.

“We had our system and we stuck with it.”

Craig said this was redemption for a lot of his second years who lost a close series in the quarter-finals last year.

“I told the guys before the series started — don’t think there’s anybody you can’t beat,” Craig said.

Craig said the team effort extended to off-ice personnel as well.

“Everybody pitched in,” he said. “From the kids and their parents, to the trainers, fundraising coordinators, and organizers.

“There had to be 25 people that did behind-the-scenes work,” he said. “Amanda (Craig) and Michelle (Colson) have been great.

On the Bantam side, well 2nd in the province isn’t too shabby.

After leaving Frontenac Arena tied at a win apiece, the Bantams fell by identical 2-1 scores, also in Walkerton.

“We didn’t get the results we wanted but the boys worked their butts off,” said Head Coach John Senior. “They definitely deserved to win that second game but we played most of the second period short-handed.

“But Walkerton were no slouches — a couple of bounces either way . . .”

Actually, the team exceeded the coach’s pre-season goals.

“When we started, the goal was to make the playoffs and win a series,” Senior said. “It was a very rewarding season.

“When we began, I talked to the boys and told them that hockey was only part of it. School was number 1 and if there were any problems, to come and tell us so we could work it out.”

And, he told them that the guys around them were going to be their buddies for life, something one of Senior’s friends, former Montreal Canadians great Kirk Muller also told them.

“Kirk and I have been friends for years,” Senior said. “So I got him to phone the team before the series and he told them the same thing — ‘look to the guys on either side of you.’”

Senior said that hockey teaches teamwork as well as other life lessons and that’s a big part of why he’s involved.

“You know, most of my best workers came up through the hockey system,” he said.

Senior said practicing with the Midget squad and using coach Dave McLay’s drills were a big part of his team’s success this year.

“And another big part was our assistant coaches as well as the entire Flyers organization,” he said. “We were treated like a rep team, getting good ice time and support.”

The PeeWees also enjoyed a very successful season but in the finals ran into a Hanover Falcons squad that just seemed to catch fire in the third period of the very first game. The PeeWees went into Hanover down two games to none and fell 5-4 in the third game in overtime.

“I think what happened (in the series) was in that third period (of the first game) Hanover gave us a wake-up call,” said Head Coach Al Pixley. “Then in the second game, their goalie just stood on his head and we couldn’t get anything by him (4-0 shutout for Hanover).”

When the series went back to Hanover, things were looking pretty grim for Frontenac being down by three goals at one point.

“I think we’d only had seven or eight shots but we came back and tied it with 45 seconds left,” Pixley said. “They scored in overtime and I think if we’d scored it would have been a different story but that had to be one of the most exciting five minutes I’ve ever experienced in hockey either as a player or coach.”

The Novices also had a great year, falling in the semis to eventual champions Campbellford.

The Midgets lost their quarterfinal series to Brighton, who made it to the semis.

Pixley, who also wears the president’s hat, said this year’s success is a credit to the entire organization.

“We’re happy to put up three new banners,” he said. “But we’re proud of all our teams and you don’t do that without an organization of many people behind them.

“I think the organization is in good shape now and we’ve found a recipe that includes extra practice time and clinics for things like power skating.”

Pixley also credited the Arena Board and manager Tim Laprade for their help and support during the season.