The Estevan Voltz peewee lacrosse team fell 7-4 to the Winnipeg Sidewinders Two in the bronze-medal game of the Voltz annual home tournament at Bienfait Memorial Arena on Sunday, but that can’t diminish the great success they achieved as the host team.
“It went pretty good,” said Voltz head coach Dallas Hall. “It’s what we needed to do to try and develop some of these newer kids who are just getting into the sport.”
The Voltz amassed a 2-2 record in the tournament round robin losing 11-3 to the Winnipeg Sidewinders One (4-0) before coming back to beat the 0-4 Standing Buffalo Fighting Sioux 5-0 on Saturday morning. That afternoon the club edged the 2-2 Sidewinders Two 7-6 and lost 19-1 to the eventual gold medal champion Moose Jaw Mustangs (2-2) with goal differential placing them in the bronze medal game.
The Voltz’ Kersey Hollingshead got the team off to a good start in the three-versus-four game firing a shot top corner on Sidewinders goalie Andre Isabey 6:40 into the first period. Sidewinders forward Liam Witoski evened the score four minutes later and defenceman Cole Gratton put Winnipeg up by one a minute after that. The Sidewinders’ Sam Vanderhart made it 3-1 with five seconds remaining in the frame by stealing the ball in front of Voltz goaltender Cole Blondeau and wiring a shot stick side.
In a hard-hitting second period, the Sidewinders began to press the Voltz in their own zone leading to Estevan taking a few penalties. Vanderhart scored on a five-on-three advantage a little over eight minutes into the second period, which was followed by a Witoski power-play goal at the 10:53 mark. Hollingshead brought the score to 5-2 with 2:35 remaining on a shot taken while being brought down in front of Isabey’s net.
The Voltz began the third period pressuring the Sidewinders in their own zone with Keagan Merrimen earning a great opportunity to score 20 seconds in on a shot from the side of the Winnipeg net only to be stopped with a pad save by Isabey. Winnipeg’s Robert Jackson then made it 6-2 about four minutes into the third on the power play.
Estevan’s Tanner Hall scored his first of two in the period at the 8:10 mark going top corner from 10 feet out, which was followed by Vanderhart notching the hat trick with just over three minutes remaining. Hall got his second with seven seconds to go on a shot short side from the side of the net.
“We got a couple fairly quick goals and that helped the team build momentum,” said Sidewinders head coach Glenn Tinley. “This game of lacrosse is a big time momentum game, so when you get the momentum in your favour you got to be able to use it and that helped.”
Tinley said the kids on both teams came out and played hard, but considering it was the Voltz’ home rink they had to give it a little bit extra. He said they did just that throughout the two-day competition bringing them to the bronze medal championship.
“The tournament was great for us,” he said. “Our goal was to come in and leave with a medal. Obviously we’d like to be playing in the one-two game, but be that as it may the tournament as a whole was great. This was our first year coming to this tournament and we’ll definitely be back.”
Hall said the Voltz are about a month into their Queen City Minor Box Lacrosse League (QCMBL) season. He said the club is 2-2 in season play so far, with their sole home game of the year scheduled for Affinity Place this Sunday.
“It’s not too bad,” said Hall about the travel. “We’re getting experience being in that league. That’s what counts right now. We’ll build on it from there.”
