The Tecumseh Eagles U13A battled through a deep Watford Silver Stick® Southern Regional. It was a weekend built on disciplined, playoff-style hockey - tight checking, small margins and every shift earned.
Tecumseh opened the tournament on Friday morning with a statement win, battling back from a 2-1 third-period deficit to take a 3-2 victory over the Guelph Jr. Gryphons. The Eagles controlled long stretches of play and tilted the ice, but Guelph’s goaltender was superb and kept it close until Tecumseh found the breakthrough late.
In their second game, a hard-checking matchup against the Belle River Jr. Canadiens, chances were limited, and space was hard to find. Belle River struck late in the first and doubled their lead midway through the second. Tecumseh pushed back to make it 2-1, but the Canadiens added an insurance marker with six minutes in the third to seal it.
With a 1-1 record in such a deep field, the Eagles earned only a #7 seed - the kind of “out-of-position” spot that turns Sunday dreams into a Saturday survival test. It also meant an early Saturday play-in elimination game against the Kent Cobras, who had knocked off these same Eagles in last year’s Regional Final.
Kent scored against the run of play late in the first period to take a 1-0 lead, and it stayed that way deep into the game. Then the Eagles flipped the switch in the third - exploding for four goals to turn a nail-biter into a 4-1 win and punch their ticket forward.
Next up was a Quarter-Final against the #2 seed London Jr. Mustangs. It was a classic tight-checking, playoff-style game that stayed scoreless heading into the third. Tecumseh stayed patient, defended hard and then struck with three unanswered goals and earned a spot in Sunday’s Semi-Final.
Against the Strathroy Jr. Rockets, Tecumseh carried play for much of the second and third periods but couldn’t solve the Rockets’ goaltender. No panic, no cheating for offence - just shift after shift of pressure and discipline.
The breakthrough finally came 11 minutes into an exciting 3-on-3 overtime, as the Eagles secured a 1-0 win and earned the right to play for a Championship - a rematch with Belle River, who had advanced with a 5-4 overtime win over the Talbot Trail Blazers.
In the Final - their 6th game of the weekend - Tecumseh created some looks but couldn’t convert and couldn’t match the Canadiens’ energy as the game wore on. Belle River capitalized and took the title with a 3-0 win. A tough ending, but a meaningful run through one of the strongest fields you’ll see.
Even in defeat, there’s a lot to like about what Tecumseh put on display in Watford. This group continues to gel, and their foundation is strong: elite goaltending, disciplined positional hockey, and a penalty kill that stood tall all weekend. In a field this stacked, you don’t reach a final by accident - you play for one another, and you earn it with habits.
Now the attention turns back to Bluewater League play, where the Eagles will try and get the offense back on track in a big weekend of action against Talbot Trail in Leamington on Friday, and against Lake Erie at home on Saturday.
A huge thank you to our parents, families, and sponsors for the support all weekend long - Watford was a grind, and this team represented and wore the Eagles crest with pride.