Year 2003- 2004 Season

Ajax Ontario -- April 16, 2004 --

First of all, we would like to thank the call-ups for this non-event: Eric Allen, Ed Stephens, Dave Noble, Ron Sherwin and Richard Black. Thanks guys!!

It was a real stinker as 2 teams in our division backed out and we ended up playing in a who-knows-what-division...Scarborough Old Puckers failed to show up so we played the host Ajax Antiques and somehow the Hockey News were in our division... hmmm gotta wonder about that executive decision...

This year and last year both showed a real serious decline in what used to be a really well run and seeded tournament. We have sent a note to the organizer and his response will assist us in deciding whether we return or not...

Niagara Falls, Ontario -- March 26, 2004 --

It's always nice when you win and this was NICE !!!. It took a huge effort in each and every game by all the 11 skaters and our goalie. We came out of this tournament with not only a win, but with several firsts for our team, such as:

• A first...we had our first win in a tournament in a very long time
• A first...we had our first shut-out in a tournament in a very long time
• A first...we had our first Championship win in a very long time
• And the biggest first is that we had 3 shut-outs in one tournament for the first time ever and that goes back about 16 years...way to go team and especially to all our fans !!

Thanks to our call-ups for this tournament: Bob Kemp, John DeLaTorre, Dave Noble, John Ludwig, Richard Black and Tim Murphy. Missing in action were 3 of our regulars in coach Tom Blanchard (get well soon you ol'fart), Frank "I used to like snowboarding" Pollard, and hard working John Savage.

We won game #1 vs Lindsay Pastimers 4 - 0 in a sweltering Niagara Falls arena, man it was hot. Lindsay beat us good last year so revenge was sweet.

Game #2 was against home-towners Mick & Angelos. We had a win all in the bag except they insisted on playing the last 3 minutes of the game and they proceeded to score 2 unanswered goals to beat us 4 - 3. That was a tough one to lose.

After a short night's sleep game #3 on Sunday morning was against Golding Park. It was a really good game and ended in a 0 - 0 tie which give us each 1 point and sent us to a re-match in the finals a couple of hours later.

So in the final, game #4, we continued to skate fast and change quick and it wasn't long before we got a shot from just inside the blueline and it caught the Goulding Park goalie flat-footed and hit the inside of the far post to give us a 1 - 0 lead.
The second goal also came from Jack Currie when he led a a rush and got lucky when a whack-and-smash from the chasing defence sent the puck to the goalies feet and Jack tapped it in for some insurance. Game ended getting a tad bit rough with Robert Crane getting tossed into the box but the pressure from their 6 to our 4 didn't pay off for them, we won, 2 - 0. Prize for first place was a really nice v-neck fleece with a small Cataract logo on the back and a Molson Canadian logo on the front. Very nice, thank-you.

Pickering, Art Thompson -- February 6, 2004 --

• Sorry folks, information will have to be retrieved from the Anderson Archivial vault as I have just suffered a short term memory loss....details will be re-posted at a later date. JC

Markham, Ontario -- December 6, 2003 --

Thanks again to our call-ups for this tournament: Bob Kemp, John Delatorie, Wally Brosowiech and Eric Allen. This was our first time here as an over 50 team.

Our 1st game was against the Free Agents and we lost 6-0 as they as very powerful, strong, and fast. I have no idea where these guys are from but their steroid supplier is good. Our 2nd game was a beaut against the Ajax Old Boys on Saturday morning at 9:00. I only mention the time because it wasn't until about 9:25 when they woke up. By then we had a 4 - 0 lead led by Wally with a goal and 3 assists. Sorry but I didn't get our other goal scorers, I guess I was sleeping too! Anyway the Old Boys finally woke up and stormed back to tie us at 4. A good game for us for sure, one of the best I seen Keith play in nets with all his new really expensive goalie pads. The third game was against the Markham Millionaires who used to run this tournament. It was a good, scoreless game for the most part. Bob Crane got us a 1 -0 lead on a great play and shot by the converted defencemen playing up on left wing. The wierdest goal ever was scored by Markham on some kind of fluke shot that went behind Keith in and out of the net over his right shoulder and down into the top of his right leg pad, and that's when he first saw it! He, and most of us couldn't believe it when they went to center ice for the face-off. Anyway, it was a competitive and cleanly played game even though we lost 2 - 1. Thanks to coach Wagnell for making a guest appearance ! Maybe next time you'll bring your skates !!

It's an ok tournament and I think we'd go back. We didn't much like having to play 2 of 3 games in a rink across town that DOES NOT have bar in it, not to mention the fact the dressing rooms in this other rink are so dang small.

KITCHENER, Ontario -- November 15, 2003 --

Thanks again to our call-ups for this tournament: Ron Sherwin, John Delatorie. Our first game was against the Guelph Players Edge who beat us 6 - 3. This was an indication of things to come but it also had a few good things about it such as our team being able to score 3 goals. Jack Currie had 2 and Steve Clark had the other.

Game two was any better in the final result department but again we were able to put in 3 goals, This time it was John Savage with 2 and Bob Crane scoring the other as he was moved up from defence for part of the game.The Etobicoke Hackers were good to play against even though they had their share of underage teams as did the other teams we played.

The third game was pretty awful as we were down to 9 skaters with Roger Allaby gone AWOL. Not a good time to lose a fast skating defenceman. We lost 6 - 0 against the Woodhouse Old Warriors and we bitched and complained after the game of this team using underage players too. Well, they didn't have any 39 year olds but a few under 50's for them, and only 9 skaters for us and there was no contest.

Some of us were really pissed at K-W Rusty's organizers. We could also have brought some under 50's to bolster our 10 skaters but we thought it best to play by the rules laid out. Nice guys finish last and that's what happened. And, the thing is, the organizers knew about these other teams and said nothing to us.

BEWARE if you are entering their tournament, call the organizer (they change each year) and verify how many players they allow to be under the age category in your division before you waste over $600. on an entry fee.

Kitchener	                   	       Markham
  November 14-16,  2003		                December 5-7, 2003
Guelph Players 6 Teepees 3                     Free Agents 6 Teepees 1
Etobicoke Hackers 5 Teepees 3                  Markham Millionaires 2  Teepees 1
Woodhouse 6 Teepees 0                          Ajax Old Boys 4 Teepees 4

Art Thomson(Pickering)                         Niagara Falls (Cataracts)
  February 6-8, 2004                             March 26-28, 2004
Toronto Islanders 4 Teepees 1                  Lindsay Pastimers 0 Teepees 4
Wrinkles x Teepees x                           Mick & Angelos 3  Teepees 2
Brampton Looking Back 1 Teepees 1              Goulding Park 0 Teepees 0
Consolation Final:                             Geritol 45+ Final: Golulding Park 0 Teepees 2

Ajax Antiques
  April 16-18, 2004
Old Puckers (defaulted)0 Teepees 1
Hockey News 4 Teepees 1
Ajax Rec 3 Teepees 1