The Tecumseh Eagles U11A team captured their first
tournament title of the season with an impressive showing at
the Grand Rapids Grinch tournament this past weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Tecumseh Eagles U11A team captured their first tournament title of the season with an impressive showing at the Grand Rapids Grinch tournament this past weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
As the only Canadian team in the tournament and placed in the AA division against opponents from across the United States, the Eagles went undefeated throughout the tournament to claim the championship title.
In game #1 of the tournament, the Eagles came out on fire as they knocked off the Irish Rovers AA 8-1 to start with a win. Tecumseh followed that up with a pair of victories on Saturday, including a 3-0 win over the Alpena Wildcats AA and a hard fought 3-1 victory over the Fort Wayne Force AA. The Eagles enjoyed a balanced offensive attack throughout the weekend to go along with terrific goaltending from their dynamic duo in net.
Earning the top seed with a 3-0 record coming out of pool play, Tecumseh secured a spot in the semi-finals early on Sunday morning in snowy Grand Rapids.
In the semi-finals, Tecumseh got out to a quick 2-0 lead and then held off South Bend late in the game in a physical battle to claim a 4-1 win and a spot in the championship game.
The Championship Final would feature a re-match against the Fort Wayne Force as the two top teams in the tournament faced off in front of a spirited crowd at the Southside Ice Arena with the championship title on the line.
The first period was a high tempo affair with both teams getting chances at the offensive end but neither team able to convert. Strong goaltending on both sides kept the game scoreless throughout the first.
The Eagles were finally able to break through in the second period to a take a 1-0 lead thanks to some solid fore-checking and unselfish passing from the group. Tecumseh would go on to add two more goals late in the game as they secured the hard fought 3-0 shutout victory to claim the tournament championship.
Throughout the weekend, the team’s strong defensive play, relentless back-checking and tremendous goaltending were major factors as they consistently held teams off the scoreboard in games. Incredibly, the Eagles only allowed three goals against in their five tournament games.
With their first tournament title under their belt, the Eagles will now close out the first half of their Blue Water league schedule with four games before the holiday break.
Early in January, the team will be back on the road as they travel to Buffalo, NY to compete in the Buffalo Outdoor River Classic tournament from January 2-4.
A big thank you to our Eagles family and all our team sponsors for everything you do to support our team.