Peterborough AAA U16 Minor Petes Fall In Steve Richey Tournament Hockey Championship In 1-0 Loss

The AAA U16 Peterborough Petes came up one goal short in the finals of the Steve Richey Tournament, losing to the AAA U16 Central Ontario Wolves 1-0 at the Healthy Planet Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Both teams were undefeated heading into the finals. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Petes and Wolves were the only undefeated teams left in the contest, winning their respective divisions and prior playoff games for the championship.

Both teams exchanged sustained pressure in opposing offensive zones throughout the opening 15 minutes. The Petes had some last-minute chances in the final few minutes in the Wolves zone, applying heavy forechecking, forcing turnovers and a potential goal from a baseball swing but the score remained scoreless throughout the first period. Both teams displayed excellent discipline early as either team had a penalty in the opening stanza.

The Wolves began the period aggressively with several high-scoring chances, testing Petes’ goaltender Mason Johnston. They caused defensive zone turnovers, had several tip-ins that barely went wide but could not find the back of the net. Peterborough got the first penalty of the game just under 10 minutes into the period from an interference call in front of the Wolves’ net. The Petes penalty kill blocked several shots to keep the game tied. Peterborough capitalized on a loose puck as Wil McFadden had a partial breakaway that translated into a Wolves penalty while being shorthanded. Peterborough tried to get on the board on their abridged man advantage but failed to score on their first powerplay as the score remained a 0-0 tie into the third period.

All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Peterborough was the aggressor starting the final stanza as they had mounted pressure against the Wolves goaltender. The Petes had a wide-open net but the shot went wide as the game remained continued in a 0-0 deadlock. The Wolves finally got on the board as forward Van Pereira, 15, was able to capitalize on a blocked shot that came back to him and sniped it past Johnston for a 1-0 lead, halfway through the third period.

“I took a second chance at the puck and banged it in,” said Pereira. “(It's) a big goal for the boys.”

Peterborough made late charges in the game, creating several chances to crash the net and score but failed to get it past the goal line. The Petes pulled their goalie during the final few minutes of the game but to no avail as the Wolves stood tall for the 1-0 win.

Pereira’s goal stood as the tournament-winning goal, with the Wolves remaining as the only undefeated team.

“That's the best feeling in hockey right there,” said Pereira. “There's nothing like that and that's why we put on the gear and play.”

The Petes U18 team failed to qualify for the playoffs with a 3-1 record.

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OHL And AAA Petes To Honour Steve Richey For Contributions To Local Hockey

The OHL Peterborough Petes and Peterborough Minor Hockey Council “AAA” Petes have announced they will honour late scout, coach and mentor Steve Richey, who passed away on April 13th at age 54 as the result of a heart attack.

To honour their former scout, the OHL Petes have renamed their Education Fund Scholarship/Bursary Award after Steve. The award is given annually to a graduating PMHC player.

“Steve was a wonderful and valued part of our scouting staff for numerous years,” says Petes General Manager Mike Oke. “He was highly regarded in and made invaluable contributions to the Peterborough hockey community, and as such, we’re honoured to recognize him by renaming this award.”

Steve Richey

Steve gave back tirelessly to the sports community throughout his life, acting as a coach and mentor to many. In addition, The Peterborough Minor Hockey Council “AAA” Petes will honour Steve by re-naming their annual Midget tournament the Steve Richey Tournament of Champions.

“Every January for the past 12 years, the PMHC has hosted some of the top minor and major Midget teams, featuring players who are eligible for the OHL Priority Selection, that come to showcase their talent and skills for scouts,” says PMHC President and Petes alumnus Mike Martone. “We feel, as an organization, that it’s only fitting to rename our tournament in honour of Steve, who played his minor hockey in Peterborough, played in the OHL, and scouted for the Petes.”

The 2019 Steve Richey Tournament of Champions take place January 17th to 20th, 2019. For more information, click here.

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