| build a web site| fundraising| community| collect fees online| blogz |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Monday, April 19 Bantam PGL Players Honoured at EMHA Awards Ceremony The EMHA Awards Ceremony was held in the Recreation Center Sunday evening. A number of Bantam PGL players were acknowledged for their accomplishments throughout the season. The honourees were: ESSO Awards Most Sportsmanlike - Jonathan Bruyere Most Improved - Shayne Johnson Most Dedicated - Mathieu Drouin-Lavigne Association Awards (Sponsored by Autobus Bergeron Bus Lines) Leading Scorer - Gabriel Brisson Most Valuable Player - Jason Talbot Best Defenceman - Geoffrey Ruggiero In addition, our goaltenders, Luc Servais and Daniel Dubois, were acknowledged for being the top goaltender pairing in the District Three Bantam B loop. And last (but by no means least), the Embrun Panthers Bantam PGL team was acknowledged by the Association for our victory at the ODMHA Tournament of Champions as the best Bantam B Team in the ODMHA's five Bantam B leagues.
Embrun Panthers Win ODMHA Tournament of Champions. WE WON IT!!!!! (Game results, player stats and game summaries available by clicking on the underlined title above) Embrun travelled to Kingston this weekend to participate in the ODMHA Bantam B Tournament of Champions. The round robin format, although somewhat bizarre, featured the infamous "points per period" format to decide the top two teams in two pools with the bizarreness being one pool had four teams, the other had six. Guess which pool we were in. Uh-huh! (6) Tournament participants, the top two teams in each of the ODMHA's five leagues, included: Embrun, Clarence Creek, Charlan, NGS, Smiths Falls, Kingston Township, Petawawa, Muskrat, East Ottawa and Carleton Place. The tournament was hosted by the Kingston Township Minor Hockey Association and all games were played at the historic Kingston Memorial Center. A "well done" to the staff from both these organizations for running an excellent tournament. The Panther's first game was against the Charlan Rebels. We had not played this team yet this year and they proved to be a well coached and quality opponent. However, the Panthers won the day with a 2-0 victory over the Rebels. Stephane Paquette opened the scoring midway through the first with Gab Brisson adding an insurance goal in the second. Although Charlan ended up outshooting the Panthers, Embrun prevailed 2-0 with Luc Servais earning the shutout. Game Two featured a matchup with another team we had yet to play this year, the Smiths Falls Bears. Renaud Brisson opened the scoring for Embrun with six minutes remaining in the first with Rob Bendelier scoring what would prove to be the game winner directly off a faceoff a minute later. Although Smiths Falls made it close moments later with a goal closing the score to 2-1, second period goals by Jonathan Seguin and Gab Brisson gave Embrun a comfortable lead. Mathieu Drouin-Lavigne finished the scoring for the Panthers and Embrun went on to a 5-1 victory. Game Three meant a lot. As you all know, we have made it to the finals in all of our tournaments. We've also lost many of those finals. One of those losses was to the East Ottawa Voyageurs, a team that won both the Regional and the International Silver Stick. Well, this game was expected to be a challenge and it proved to be one, especially as the Panthers needed a mere 0.5 of a point to eliminate East Ottawa. We figured East Ottawa would be motivated, and we figured right. But, not to worry as Justin Maloney proved to be Embrun's scoring ace tonight, opening the scoring in the second and closing it very late in the third. Geoffrey Ruggiero also scored, a goal that proved to be the game winner, on a nifty backhand late in the third. Embrun went on to a 3-1 victory, thus ending the round robin portion of the tournament. Of note is that "perfect" score for round robin play was 15 points. Embrun earned 14, having never lost a period (or a full point - yes, that means we tied two of the nine periods we played). That proved to be the best point total for the round robin portion. Embrun "wore white" for the remaining games. The Semi-Finals featured a matchup between the Panthers and NGS. The best part of this game may have been the send off our players received as they walked to the ice surface. Those of you who have followed our progress know the rivalry the Panthers have with the Clarence Creek Senators. Well, the Senators, a very depleted Senators, had just been eliminated in a very physical game against Petawawa. And, shortly after this game, as our players marched to the ice for our next game, they went by the Senators' dressing room. The Clarence Creek parents, coaches, and players cheered our players on - vigourously. For those who think there are problems in minor hockey, I invite you to moments like this as it was one of the classiest things I have seen during my time in minor hockey. To the folks in Clarence Creek, well done and thanks. All our players talked about that gesture and it was much appreciated. Now, back to the game. You might note a slowdown in the repopulation of Embrun in a few years. Some very well-aimed spears and a couple of off-target pucks had many of the Panthers feeling somewhat "nutty". I'll leave it to you to figure that out, but the team's skating was, overall, a tad slower than normal. That said, Embrun did manage to attain a 2-0 lead on goals by Jonathan Seguin and Mathieu Drouin-Lavigne. Then...poof...with 0:00.3 (yes, that's correct) left in the first, it was 2-1. NGS tied it early in the second and memories of the 2-0 "kiss of death" curse evident in our final's series agianst Clarence Creek became a potential reality. Rob Bendelier to the rescue. He intercepted a pass between NGS defencemen, while short-handed no less, to score the game winner on the ensuing breakaway. He then added an insurance goal late in the third on a blast from a faceoff circle. Embrun 4, NGS 2. Next up, the finals against the Petawawa Patriots. The Patriots handled the Panthers fairly easily at the Silver Stick, defeating us in the round robin play and eliminating us in quarter final action. Well, what a difference five months makes. The Panthers out-skated, out-hustled, and out-hit the more physical Patriots team on the way to a 2-1 victory on goals by Jonathan Seguin and the eventual game winner by Jason Talbot. Luc Servais was spectacular in nets, especially during a shooting flurry by the Patriots late in the game where he made three pad saves while being "down and out". Overall, it was an excellent game and, once again, a testament to the quality of minor hockey in the Ottawa area. WOW. One heck of a tournament. The Panthers bring home the title as the top Bantam B team in the ODMHA for the second time in three years. A little get together at the Lucky 7 following the tournament sealed the deal on a superb weekend and an even more superb season. Thanks to EVERYONE. WAY TO GO EMBRUN PANTHERS BANTAM PGL!!!!!! Thursday, March 25 Bantam PGL Finals The following is the final result of the District 3 Bantam PGL Finals series between the Embrun Panthers and the Clarence Creek Senators. The format was the first to six points winning the series with a maximum of six games being played. Games played: 6 Team Points Embrun: 5 Clarence: 7 Click on the underlined title of this article to get the game-by-game scores, stats and game summaries. Check out the video of Luc's penalty shot save at the end of Game Three. Thursday, March 18 Embrun Wins Second Tournament in a Row Perhaps the start of a new streak??!!?? Embrun travelled to Brockville today for a one day, three game tournament. The thing that was particularly nice about today's tournament (aside from winning it) was that there were seven other teams in it, none of whom we had played before. Game One was against the Loyalist Township Jets at 10:00 AM. Embrun had a two goal first period (Gab Brisson and Geoff Ruggiero) and a two goal second period (Jason Talbot and Stephane Paquette) on the way to a 4-1 victory over the Jets and a berth in the next game on the "winner's side" of the schedule. The Panthers' second game was similar to their first. Embrun earned another 4-1 victory, this time against the Kingston Township Titans and thus ensured themselves a place in the final game. Goal scorers were Shayne Johnson, Justin Maloney, Gab Brisson and Renaud Brisson. Luc Servais picked up the win in nets. The finals saw the Panthers take on the Gananoque Islanders. Embrun built up a 3-0 lead on goals by Geoff Ruggiero and two by Renaud Brisson before a third period rally brought the Islanders to within one. Gab Brisson netted an insurance goal late in the third and the Panthers went on to a 4-2 win for both the game and the tournament. Dan Dubios earned the victory as goalie. Special mention to Renaud Brisson on this day. The Brockville organizers traditionally provide each team with a plaque to be awarded to a player by the team's coaching staff. The plaque is meant to acknowledge good sportsmanship, team play, leadership, hard work and respect for fellow players and the officials. Renaud was awarded this plaque at the tournament and was most deserving of it. Well done Renaud. An excellent day for the boys and the coaching staff. Hopefully a confidence builder for the upcoming (and somewhat critical) games against Clarence. I'd love to post a nice picture of the winning team but, while everything else went perfectly, as a dope, I forgot a camera. Duh! Thursday, March 11 Bantam PGL Final Stats Released At long last, the Bantam PGL final standings and top scorers have been made available. Some of them are even correct. Embrun's scorers did well, placing four players in the league's top ten. Congratulations to Gab Brisson, Jason Talbot, Renaud Brisson and Rob Bendelier. Embrun's goalies did even better, teaming up to place first in the Bantam PGL loop with 42 goals against and a 1.75 Goals Against Average. A "well done" goes out to both Luc Servais and Daniel Dubois. Click on the title to be taken to the Clarence website where the details are available. Tuesday, February 3 Embrun at the PGL All-Star Game The Paul Guy Lalonde League Bantam All-Star game will be held in Clarence Creek on March 6, 2004 with the game start time scheduled for 6:15 PM. The game will see the all-stars from Embrun, grouped in the Stephane Yelle Division with players from Vankleek Hill, Casselman and Hawkesbury, take on the Derek Roy Division all-stars, consisting of players from Rockland, St. Isidore and the host Clarence. As the result of the Panther's success throughout the regular season, Embrun will provide the most players to the Yelle Division's team. With highlights of some of their achievements, the following players will represent Embrun at the Bantam PGL All-Star Game: 1. Geoffrey Ruggiero (D): +81 rating, Leading scorer among defencemen (37 pts); 2. Jason Talbot (C): Leading Scorer (89 pts), Assist leader (51), Played in all games (48), Tied for fewest penalty minutes (8); 3. Gab Brisson (RW): Second Leading Scorer (77 pts) , Tied leading goal scorer (39), Played in all games less one (47); ************************* UPDATE - 16 Feb 04 ********************* Gab will be unable to attend and will be replaced by center Justin Maloney. Justin has missed only a single game and has produced 38 points for the Panthers this season. ************************* UPDATE - 16 Feb 04 ********************* 4. Rob Bendelier (C): Tied leading Goal Scorer (39), Played in all games less one (47), Tied for fewest penalty minutes (8), Team faceoff leader (65.1 %); 5. Shayne Johnson (D): +63 rating, Played in all games (48); and 6. Daniel Dubois (G): 17-8 Record, 2.34 GAA Also of note, the Panther's success this season has allowed two of our team staff to be recognized at the All-Star game. Butch Talbot will be the head coach for the Yelle Team, while Frank Ruggiero will be the team's trainer. Sunday, February 15 FINALLY!!!!!! This story is also available online at: http://www.ottawaminorhockey.com/News/Member/s6.asp The Panthers spent the weekend in Kingston participating in the Bill Baird Memorial Tournament. For those of you who follow our progress, you are well aware that we often (well.... always) make it to tournament finals and we often (well.... always ) lose. That dubious streak is officially over. Embrun's first game was late Friday evening against the host Kingston Cougars. Rob Bendelier led the way with a three point night against his former team and that, coupled with strong (in kind of an alternating period-by-period way) play by each line, the defence and a shutout by Daniel Dubois led the Panthers to a 7-0 victory. Game two was late the following evening (thankfully...some of us needed a nap on Saturday) against Rockland. The Nats had annoyed us recently by knocking the Panthers, probably permanently, out of first place in the Bantam PGL loop. This faux pas was made up for as Embrun soundly defeated Rockland 7-0 (sensing a trend yet?) led by two-goal performances by both Jason Talbot and Renaud Brisson. Luc Servais picked up the shutout. Our third game, early this morning, pitted the Panthers against the minor version of the Orleans Blues. Embrun had a rough day today in both its games, but managed a 3-1 victory on goals by Gab and Renaud Brisson, as well as the game winner by Justin Maloney. This victory earned the Panthers first place in the round robin portion of the tournament and a place in the finals. Our opponent in the finals was the major version of the Orleans Blues. Renaud Brisson led the way with two goals and Jason Talbot added a single as the Panthers defeated a rather well-motivated Orleans team 3-1. All in all, an excellent performance by the team and a well-behaved (mostly) group of parents made for an excellent weekend. Congratulations to the Orleans Blues, who are having a rough season, on their success this weekend and to the tournament organizers in Kingston for a job well done. For Rob and our family, it was nice to see all our former K'town friends again. As always, the game summaries and player stats are available by clicking on the underlined title to this article. Sunday, January 11 Panthers End Streak of Losing By "1" In Tournament Finals Ok, so we lost by two! Embrun had another strong showing in tournament action at the Arnprior Minor Hockey Association Bantam B Tournament held between 10-11 Jan, 2004. Round robin play saw the Panthers defeat the Orleans Blues 4-1, the Muskrat Voyageurs 6-2 and the Deep River Knights 8-2. These wins earned Embrun the title in their division, as well as a spot in the Semi-Finals against the Ottawa Valley Storm. Some "pre-game comments" made by several Storm players about the quality of the Panthers' play seems to have added a little extra step to Embrun's game as the Panthers out-hit, out-scored and just plain out-played the Valley team, defeating them 5-1 in a penalty ridden game. This win earned Embrun a place in the finals against their arch-rivals from their home loop, the Clarence Senators. Certainly a long way to travel to play Clarence. (of course, Arnprior has ice, we can't seem to get any in our own rink). As seems to always be the case when Embrun and Clarence meet, the game was a well-played, virtually penalty-free game, with hockey the focus instead of the "gooning" that some lesser skilled teams seem to employ when they are outmatched. However, Clarence proved the stronger team this day, defeating a depleted Embrun team (an untimely one-game suspension and an even more untimely volleyball tournament being the culprits) 2-0 and earning the tournament championship. I may be mistaken here, but I am pretty sure that Clarence had but one goal scored against them the entire tournament and they certainly earned the title. Congratulations to the Senators, as well as to the convening staff at Arnprior who did a spectacular job running the tournament. Also, many MANY thanks to the parents, grandparents and brothers and sisters who spent pretty much two full days in the arena supporting us. This tournament marks to fourth time the Panthers have made it to the finals of a tournament (4 for 4, not counting the much bigger Silver Stick) and, of course, the fourth time we've come up a little short. That said, the players have done a consistently excellent job at these events and, as a warning to all other teams, the NEXT ONE IS OURS. Player stats, scores and the game summaries for each tournament game are available by clicking on the underlined title to this article. Ken Wednesday, December 31 Embrun Loses Close One in Capital Crusaders Tournament Final The Panthers played for the championship in the Capital Crusaders Christmas Stick Tournament against East Ottawa this morning at the Walkley Ice Surface. The Panthers took an early lead on a first period goal by Marc Bergeron but East Ottawa rallied back with three quick goals, earning a 3-1 lead by the end of the first. The Panthers, as they have done all season, played strongly in the second period, and goals by Geoff Ruggiero and Marc Bergeron made the score even at the end of two. The third period was exciting, with end-to-end action throughout, but a turnover led to an East Ottawa goal late in the third, earning them the victory. This game was also characterized by exceptional goaltending by Luc Servais, who kept the Panthers in it by stopping 37 of 41 shots. Congratulations to the East Ottawa Voyageurs for their well-earned championship, as well as to the Capital Crusaders convenors and helpers who ran an excellent tournament, even when certain managers escaped with the dressing room key for a night or two. On another note, this is the third time we have lost by a goal in the finals of a tournament (making us perfect). Our victory in Arnprior in two weekends shall put an end to this, yes guys? Results, stats and the game summary are available by clicking on the title to this article. Saturday, December 13 Panthers Advance to Final at Rockland Bantam B Tournament The Panthers participated in the Rockland Bantam B tournament held at the Jean-Marc Lalonde Arena through 13-14 Dec. Drawing a berth in the most challenging pool, the Panthers had their work cut out for them. The Panthers first game was against the Nepean Raiders, a team that is in first place in the ODMHA "B" loop. Two goals in the second and strong defensive play throughout the third helped earn the Panthers a 2-1 victory in what was a very well played game by both teams. The next challenge was the Russell Warriors, a team that has had the Panther's number all season long. This game proved no exception and the Warriors, playing an exceptionally strong game, bounced Embrun, who didn't have an exceptionally strong game, 5-0. This may have worked out for the best. The next matchup was against Embrun's "arch-rival" in the PGL loop, the Clarence Senators. Thus far, all games between these two teams have been decided by a single goal but Embrun, rebounding strongly and playing what may have been their best game of the season, defeated Clarence by a 2-0 margin. Of note was that both teams played hard and clean and the result was a penalty-free game. This victory earned the Panthers first place in their pool and a game in the finals against Massena. Massena, who had gone undefeated in their pool, proved to be an excellent team as well. Embrun attained an early 1-0 lead and this held until the 3-minute mark of the second period when Massena managed to tie the game on what was an exceptionally questionable call. ( and, yes, I saw it) However, them's the breaks and the Panthers fought on, earning several excellent scoring opportunities but failing to capitalize. Massena took the lead late in the third and held on to capture the tournament title. Congratulations to both Massena for their well-earned victory and to the tournament staff from Rockland who hosted a very well run tournament. Scores, stats and game summaries are available in the "Schedules" section of the website under the "Rockland Tournament" tab. Monday, December 1 Embrun Panthers at the Silver Stick The Panthers participated in the 19th annual Terry O'Neill Regional Silver Stick tournament held in Pembroke over the weekend. The Panthers played well in the round robin portion of the tournament, earning a berth in the quarter finals against the second place finishing Petawawa Patriots. In an excellent, virtually penalty-free match, Petawawa defeated the Panthers 3-1. Game results, player statistics and game summaries are available by selecting "Schedules" on the menu list on the left and then selecting the "Silver Stick" tab at the top of the Schedules page. Click the underlined game to view results, stats and summaries. Congratulation to the East Ottawa Voyageurs for winning the Regionals. Complete results from the weekend are available by clicking on the underlined headline for this news article. Sunday, November 2 Embrun Makes it to Finals in Winchester Tournament The Panthers participated in their first tournament of the season this weekend at the Mega-Tournament held in Winchester and Chesterville. Round robin play saw Embrun play to a perfect record with only a single goal scored against. These three games included a 6-1 victory over the Orleans Blues (Minor), a 2-0 win over North Glengarry Stormont, and a 3-0 win over the first place team in the ODMHA "B" loop, the Kanata Blazers. This excellent performance earned the Panthers a spot in the semi-finals with Bantam PGL rival Clarence as the opposition. In a close battle, the Panthers prevailed with a 3-2 victory, earning them a spot in the finals. The Panthers' opposition in the tournament final, the Russell Warriors, are a big and fast team and used these characteristics to their advantage, defeating the Panthers 3-2 in what was an excellent game. Congratulations to the Warriors and the Panthers on both their preformances over the weekend and to the tournament staff for a job well done. Scores and player stats are available by clicking on the underlined title to this article. Sunday, September 16 Test |
|
|||||||||
|
|
Embrun Panthers Bantam PGL View Our Guestbook | Sign Our Guestbook 12 visitors have signed our guestbook. |
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
