The Sports Report - Lambton Minor Midget AAA
tuesday September 2, 2014
For a Minor Midget Player this upcoming season is an important time for them as they enter the OHL "Minor Midget" draft year. The pressure is on, not only the players but for the coaching staff as well.
Former Mooretown
Flags Jr. C player turned coach
Jordan Pennesi was selected as
Head Coach of the 2014-15
Minor Midget AAA team. The 26 year
old Corunna native who made the move
from coaching Jr. C to Minor
Midget says he is excited about
the upcoming year.
"I'm really looking forward to
it." Pennesi said "I really
enjoy coming to the rink and each
and every night it's getting
more exciting. Just the
passion they have that I see that
they really want to be here just
as much as we want to be here as
coaches.
Assisting on the bench with
Pennesi is his brother Nick and
former Mooretown Flags Assistant
Coach Joel Workman.
With the new coaching position
Pennesi admits there is
pressure added taking on this
team in there draft year.
"Definitely a bit of pressure
for development wise making sure
their on ice conditioning is
there and the off ice
conditioning is there, eating
the right things and making sure
they are staying out of
trouble."
"But as a coach I want to make
sure that they play a team game
and not an individual game.
They have to be able to win and
lose as a team and play for your
teammates, they are not playing
for us as coaches. The things we
ask them to do is for their
teammates and we're there to
guide them and instruct them the
right way."
In a two game exhibition game
series against the Chatham
Cyclones, the Jr. Sting came
away winning both games.
In the first game the Jr. Sting
shutout the Cyclones 3 - 0 in
what Pennesi describe a close
game as two goals were scored
late in the third period.
On Sunday this
past weekend the Minor Midgets
hosted Chatham and came away
with a solid 7 - 2 win.
"Overall I thought it was
actually a really good game.
The work ethic was there but
discipline wise... that was why
they scored the two goals at the
end. I think that's one big
thing that we got to work on,
discipline, staying out of the
box is very key."
The Jr. Sting suffered a total
of twenty minutes in penalties,
Chatham received six minutes.
"We played really well in each
end of the ice and we got our
chances to score and we did so.
Offense had control of the game
and it was good to see. Previous
game we did a lot more work in
our own zone but today it was
nice to see the puck go in the
net more often."
Lambton scored one goal in the
first period, two in the second
and four in the third that
included a penalty shot that was
scored by Max Steeves which gave
him his second goal of the game.
Other goal scorers were Josh
Barraclough who led the Jr.
Sting with a total of three
goals and singles by Conner
Royer and Noah Campbell.
Earning assists on goals were
Max Steeves (2), Jared Pageau
(2), Josh Barrraclough, Conner
Royer, Fraser Wilson and Jason
VanBommel.
Goaltenders Chaska Thiel and
newly acquired netminder Austin
McLeod shared the duties in the
win.
The Jr. Sting will be heading to
Toronto for their first
tournament this coming weekend
participating at the
7th Annual Toronto Titans
International Minor Midget
Prospect Tournament.
The Minor Midgets competes in the
Alliance Hockey League and league
action begins on
Saturday September 13 with an
away game in Cambridge.
The home opener is set for
Sunday September 14 when they
host the Waterloo Wolves. Puck
drop is set for 3:00 pm at the
RBC Centre.
"The most exciting part is
knowing they are going to
improve and be better as players
and better as person in the
future." Pennesi added "One of
my other goals is making sure
they have a fun year, because
hockey is the best game in the
world, they have to have fun
while your doing it."
more game photos
can be found
http://youtu.be/TuDcBU9mkLk