U9 AAA Tigers Triumph as Champions, Striking Out Cancer at the First Inaugural Pink In The Park Tournament

The U9 AAA Peterborough Tigers took home the gold at the first inaugural Pink In The Park tournament for breast cancer research at Bowers Park; organizers raising over $5,000 this past Saturday and Sunday.

the Tournament Champions, the aaa u9 tigers. photo by cole designs.

15 teams were apart of the tournament from the U8, U9 and U11 baseball divisions, and Peterborough played against athletes from across Ontario to raise funds and awareness for Metastatic Breast Cancer Research.

“Our U9 AAA defeated Markham Mariners 15-8 in game one, then defeated North Toronto in game two. We went on to play The East York AAA Bulldogs in the semi-finals and beat them handedly,” said U9 coach Mike MacNamara. “The championship game was between us and North Toronto. We were down one run with two outs, (and) Jack Leddy scored the tying run off a hit from Emerson Birkhof. Owen Philips hit a double to score Birkhoff for a walk off win the final inning to win the whole tournament.”

the u8 team. photo by cole designs.

the u11 team. photo by cole designs.

Pink In The Park was inspired from Chris Hinze and his fundraising efforts for his late wife Melissa Hinze through Hockey Battles Cancer.

“Seeing first hand the success and how Pink In The Rink was received in the hockey community, I felt that it would be a great opportunity to carry that into the baseball world,” said lead organizer Dan Perilli, who has kids on both the U8 and U11 teams. “Having Cole Designs create a logo, I began branding and organizing how we wanted this event to look, feel and bring awareness to such an important cause. Many of us are touched or know someone who has been touched by this disease, so we are committed to continuing this event to knock cancer out of the park.”

The event included a barbecue, silent auction, ‘Strike Out Cancer’ hats and t-shirts for sale and a weekend of baseball fun for the young athletes who participated.

All photos by Cole Designs.

“It was a beautiful weekend full of amazing energy and we look forward to carrying ahead with this for years to come. Come out next year to help support your hometown Peterborough Tigers and support Metastatic Breast Cancer Research,” concluded Perilli.

Those who wish to donate to the Peterborough Tiger’s Pink In The Park campaign can click the link.

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Don "Sharpie" Sharp, Peterborough Petes Director of Merchandise Announces Retirement After 14-Year Tenure

Don ‘Sharpie’ Sharp can ride off into the sunset, finishing off a 14-year career as the Peterborough Petes director of merchandise as he is retiring, announced on Monday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Sharp has held the role of running the Petes Store since 2009 and is set to retire for June 29. His last year with the team ends with an OHL Championship that was won back on May 21 against the London Knights in a six-game series.

He assumed the role after 24 years in men’s wear as the owner of the Barclay in downtown Peterborough. Sharp has been involved with the organization for over 50 years, joining the club as a season ticket member in 1967.

“There isn’t a single Petes fan, or hockey enthusiast in our area, who hasn’t been impacted by Sharpie’s dedication to the Petes,” said Burton Lee, Petes executive director of business operations. “Sharpie greets every fan with a kind demeanour and expert service, and has built the Petes Store into one of the premier sport retail operations in the country, personally outfitting hundreds of thousands of fans and minor hockey players with the iconic Petes logo. We know he’ll still be spending lots of time at the Memorial Centre but Sharpie will still be missed.”

The Petes are searching for a new applicant to fill the vacancy. The job posting, including application details, can be found online. Applications will be accepted until June 22 at 11:59 p.m.

The Petes would like to thank Sharp for his dedication to the team for the past 14 years and are excited to welcome him back to the PMC as a fan for the foreseeable future.

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Lakers Bounce Back With 12-8 Road Win Over the Cobourg Kodiaks; Peterborough Moves to 3-1

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers rebound from their home opener loss and snag a 12-8 road win against the Cobourg Kodiaks at the Cobourg Community Centre on Sunday night.

The Lakers have been undefeated on the road this season after three games. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Lakers.

Blake McDonald and Thomas Whitty make their season debuts for the Lakers. Caleb Creasor, Adam Thistlethwaite, Nick Webb, Mike Robinson and DJ Clark were call-ups for Peterborough.

Peterborough for a second-straight game saw their opponents strike first. Scott Dominey kickstarted the scoring for Cobourg 2:58 into the game. The Lakers kicked into high gear with a four-goal run 52 seconds after the first score. Hoggarth nabbed two power play goals as did Austin Hasen. Josh Currier had an even-strength goal and the Lakers were up 4-1. The tables turned however as Cobourg scored four goals of their own after the run to Peterborough’s one (by Jordan Stouros) and the game was knotted up at five apiece after the first.

Both teams were evenly contested again during the second period. Holden Cattoni continued his scoring ways, following up his five-goal Thursday night with another on a four-minute power play to open up the stanza. Tanner Buck and David Anderson (on the power play) tacked on a pair of goals for Cobourg to take a 6-5 lead. Turner Evans threw an underhand shot to tie the game for the Lakers 1:42 after the Kodiaks took the lead. Aaron Woods pulled Cobourg ahead again on thepower play with seven minutes left in the second but Clark got one back for the Lakers, his first career Major Series Lacrosse goal. The game was tied 8-8 going into the third.

The Lakers had clamped down defensively while continuing their offensive prowess in the final period. Currier got a hat trick, scoring two goals. Clark scored his second of the game and Tatie Cattoni got on the scoresheet for a 12-8 score. Peterborough kept Cobourg scoreless in the third and the Lakers walked away with the 12-8 win.

Landon Kells gets the win in net for the Lakers and move to 3-1-0. Peterborough is second in the league behind the Six Nations Arrows but have a game in hand.

The Lakers continue to play on the road as they will hit the outskirts of Hagarsville to take on the Arrows at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena on Tuesday night. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

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U16 Minor Petes Ben Radley Commits to Brantford Bulldogs to a Standard Player Agreement

Peterborough Elite Court Sports U16 AAA Petes defenseman Ben Radley has signed with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Brantford Bulldogs to a Standard Player Agreement.

Photo courtesy of the OHL.

Radley was taken in the third round, 58th overall. He was the third U16 Minor Pete to be drafted into the OHL and joins Petes teammate Joshua Avery (who was drafted before him in the same round).

The Iroquois native had 14 goals and 32 assists for 46 points in 36 regular season games with the Petes. He had three goals and assists during that playoff run in eight games. He had a goal and an assist in six games at the OHL Cup. Radley won the Ontario Minor Hockey Association Championship with the Petes in his final season.

“We are excited to receive a commitment from Ben Radley.” said Matt Turek, Bulldogs interim general manager. “Ben brings all the tools we look for in a Bulldog to the table. On the ice, his skating, vision and ability to process the game are all beyond his age. Off the ice, Ben carries himself with that same maturity that makes him a great all-around addition to our group.”

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Lakers Fall at Home Opener to Brampton Excelsiors 14-13; Peterborough Raises Fourth-Straight Championship Banner

The winless Brampton Excelsiors bested the undefeated Peterborough Century 21 Lakers home opener and banner-raising ceremony before 3,412 fans with a 14-13 win at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night.

Captain Robert Hope leads the Peterborough Lakers put during their home opener ceremonies before facing off against the winless Brampton excelsiors. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Lakers debuted their new-look jerseys at home with more visible names on the back and the letters ‘S.H.’ in the top left corner. The initials are in memory of equipment manager Steve Hynes who passed away peacefully at 72 in Hospice Peterborough last month. He served the team for over a decade prior to his passing.

Brampton was looking to quiet the crowd early as Robert Hudson got the Excelsiors on the board first 6:09 into the game. The visiting team was winning the possession and shots battle and it paid off. With 4:35 left in the period, James Whiteford extended the Brampton lead, 2-0 and kept Peterborough off the board. The winless Excelsiors kept their foot on the gas pedal as 39 seconds later, Carter Zavitz joined in on the scoring to make it 3-0.

Peterborough finally ended the drought as Taite Cattoni scored his first of the game for the Lakers 30 seconds later for a 3-1 game. The defending champions were not done yet. With sustained offensive pressure and good movement, Thomas Hoggarth threw a low shot that made contact with Brampton goalie Lucas Nagy but it squeaked through the five-hole to cut the deficit to one. Mitch Ogilvie threw one from the point to tie the game just nine seconds later to make it a 3-3 tie.

But as quick as the game was tied, it just as quickly became trouble for Peterborough. Seth Vanschepen restored Brampton’s lead. Things got worse for the Lakers as Eric Shewell had a cross-checking penalty that led to a Tanner Thompson goal just 12 seconds left in the period. The Excelsiors were not done yet as they quickly won the faceoff and Josh Medeiros got on the board to restore Brampton’s three-goal lead in the final six seconds of the period. It was 6-3 for the visiting team as the Lakers were off to a rough start in their home opener.  

Josh Currier made his return to the lineup after being unable to play in the playoffs from an injury. He got things kickstarted for the Lakers as he scored from the point 73 seconds into the second period to cut Brampton’s lead to two, 6-4.

The Excelsiors committed a holding the stick penalty but that proved to be ironically worked in favour of Brampton. Thompson dashed across Lakers goalie Drew Hutchinson (who was already having a rough night in net) and beat him low for a shorthanded goal and a 7-4 lead. Just over six minutes later, Thompson struck again on a low shotfor a hat trick to get Brampton pulling away 8-4.

The woes kept coming for the Lakers as 18 seconds later, Hudson got his second of the night, 9-4. Peterborough’s powerplay continued to be counter productive as Hudson on a fast break, scored on a solo mission for the hat trick shorthanded for a 10-4 Brampton lead.

Peterborough finally broke Brampton’s run and capitalized on the powerplay as Holden Cattoni found himself on the score sheet. Holden found back-to-back goals for Peterborough scoring again, making two goals in 50 seconds to round out the second period. Brampton controlled the game with a 10-6 lead.

The Lakers got off on the right foot in the third period as they controlled the offensive attack which led to a Turner Evans goal and cut Brampton’s deficit by three. Brampton quickly countered with a goal from Zavitz and the four-goal lead was restored.

Holden kept Peterborough within striking distance as he capped off a hat trick with his third goal of the game to make it 11-8 for Brampton. Evans got his second goal of the period and game for the Lakers on their next position shooting low and beating Nagy to trail only by two goals with just under 15 minutes left in regulation.

Brampton retaliated once again as Thompson kept the hot hand going, tacking on his fourth goal of the game. Peterborough would not go away yet as Holden received a great pass into the slot and beat Nagy for his own fourth goal of the game. Lucas Ferreira made his way to the score sheet for Brampton as he lasered one from the point, beating Hutchinson to again make it a three-goal lead, 13-10.

Brampton had a fast break going two on two and won the battle with Medeiros getting his second goal of the game, beginning to put it out of reach for Peterborough with a 14-10 lead. Just under three minutes left, Peterborough kept it interesting as Holden struck again, this time on the powerplay for his fifth goal of the game to put the Lakers within three.

Peterborough pulled their goalie but created dangerous chances for Brampton. The Lakers were able to negate two empty net chances and were rewarded with a goal. This time from Holden’s brother Taite to reduce the gap to two with 1:46 left in the game.

Peterborough kept up pressure and got exactly what they needed as Taite struck again for back-to-back goals with 86 seconds left. Peterborough won the draw and went back on the attack again but was stopped by Nagy and the ball was turned over. Hutchinson made the point stop and Peterborough had a chance in the dying half minute of the game.

Peterborough cycled the ball, looking for a lane to shoot, they took it to the middle but bounced wide and time expired as Brampton held on for the 14-13 win.

The Excelsiors get their first win of the season in their fourth game and move to 1-3-0 while the Lakers take their first loss, falling to 2-1-0.

The Lakers hit the road to play the Cobourg Kodiaks for their next game on Sunday night. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

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Last-Second Invite Yields An OFSAA Silver Medal For Holy Cross Girls' Rugby

The returning-champion A/AA Holy Cross Hurricanes almost successfully defended their title with a last-second invite and earned a silver medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Girls Rugby Championships on Wednesday.

Front row (left to right): Audrey McDonald, Audrey stone, Logan jolley, Jenna whynot, Katie Belk, Emma Belk, Olivia gaebel, Jordyn Scott, Macy Harper, Shannon Elliott

Back row (left to right): Jake Fowler, Marielle Collins, Mariah Maybee, Charley Wade, Kassidy buott, Iza Buott, Payton cough, Jordan bankes, Riley Stone, Sophie McLean, ruby Briand, kyrsten white, Chloe ward, alara Rourke, Brian Greer, Chris Paige Photo courtesy of Holy Cross Secondary School.

The Hurricanes originally were not qualified for OFSAA after suffering a defeat at the hands of the Cobourg’s St. Mary Thunder in the Central Ontario Secondary Schools Association (COSSA) championships, 7-5. The team received an invite from OFSAA organizers last Thursday after a last-second vacancy was made.

Holy Cross took another loss from them again in the OFSAA finals, 14-5 at Mary Ann Sills Park in Belleville in a three-day event from Monday to Wednesday.

Head coach Jake Fowler said that he’s proud of the drive, determination and team’s character which resulted in second place, considering the short window of opportunity to prepare for OFSAA.

“It speaks tremendously to the girls and their hearts and the pride they take in our program,” he explained. “Many of them were members of the gold-medal team last year so they went back to their experience and that was what propelled them.”

Holy Cross opened their day with a 60-7 rout of Toronto’s Ursula Franklin Academy Flames on day one to advance them into the quarterfinals.

They continued their run, playing their first of two games on the second day. Holy Cross advanced to the semifinals, defeating the Cairine Wilson Secondary School Wildcats out of Orleans in a close 15-12 win.

The Hurricanes kept their winning streak going with a tight win over Shelburne’s Centre Dufferin District High School Royals, 14-12. That win gave them the rematch against St. Mary’s, resulting in a loss.

“It's been quite a season,” said Fowler. “To go from not getting an invite to pulling it off just speaks to the group of girls.”

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Peterborough Lakers Tailgate Party Cancelled Due to Air Quality Conditions; Home Opener Still A Go

The Peterborough Lakers tailgate party for Thursday’s home opener has been cancelled due to the air quality conditions according to their Facebook post made on Wednesday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Lakers.

The game against the Brampton Excelsiors is still scheduled to happen with a banner-raising of the team’s fourth-straight Mann Cup. The opening faceoff is set for 8 p.m.

The tailgate party was scheduled in the PMC parking lot for two hours prior to the home opener. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable goods as the Lakers are collecting in support of Kawartha Food Share.

Peterborough’s air quality reached a high of nine on the Air Quality Health Index Readings from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday which is considered a high risk according to Air Quality Ontario. Conditions have peaked at seven from 6 to 8 a.m. Wednesday morning but have declined to four which is a low-end moderate risk by mid-afternoon.

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New Partnership From Peterborough Lakers Provides Free Game Tickets to Five Counties Children

The Peterborough Lakers have partnered with Five Counties Children’s Centre (FCCC) to provide kids who receive treatment within the organization free tickets to each home game this season, announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Lakers.

The initiative is part of the Five Counties Ticket Assist Program according to a press release.

There is also the first-ever Little Lakers Night planned for the team’s final regular season home game on July 27. Five Counties staff, volunteers and families will be present at the game, holding a raffle, organizing face painting and other activities and taking part in the ceremonial pre-game ball drop.

“The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers and Five Counties Children’s Centre are a winning combination, and we’re very pleased to be partnering with the team on some wonderful initiatives for our kids and families,” said Scott Pepin, FCCC CEO. “Five Counties is honoured to be part of the Lakers’ ‘drive for five’ this season.”

“The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers believe in giving back to the community – on and off the floor – so we are thrilled to work with Five Counties to spotlight its services and welcome kids and families who use the Centre’s services to enjoy thrilling lacrosse action live and in person,” said Jordan Winch, Lakers’ coordinator.

The Lakers kick off their home opener against the Brampton Excelsiors at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday. Peterborough opened their season on the road and beat Brampton 11-8 last Friday.

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Saints Edge Griffins In Fifth-Place Match 7-6 In OFSAA Boys Field Lacrosse Championships

The St. Peter’s Saints (SPSS) led once all game but it was enough for a comeback 7-6 win and fifth place over the host Thomas A. Stewart Griffins (TASSS) in the OFSAA Boys Field Lacrosse Championships on Tuesday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Griffins came out to a 3-0 start in the first quarter, getting an early lead over the COSSA Champion Saints. They battled back to cut the deficit by one to make it a Griffins 3-2 lead but TASSS pulled away with a goal to make it 4-2 into the first half. Jeff Ralph, Griffins’ head coach knew that any lead against the Saints having played them before is never safe.

“We’ve been up against them before. We knew it was going to be a full 60 minutes to get the win against these guys,” he explained.

The Griffins kept their foot on the gas pedal, quickly scoring in the third quarter to restore their three-goal lead, 5-2. At this point, TASSS had dominated in time of possession and shots on goal.

St. Peter’s displayed their resilience and battled back with three goals to make it a 5-5 game.

“Lacrosse is a game of runs, “ explained Rod Willis, Saints head coach. “You might go on a three or four-goal run so we had to be patient, wait until it came and really take advantage of the situation.”

Both teams had traded goals halfway through the fourth quarter with a 6-6 tie, including a game-tying score from Hayden Addison for the Saints.

With just 6:30 left, Addison scored again to give St. Peter’s the first lead of the game. TASSS pressured hard to try and tie the game. With under a minute left in the game, they had a chance to tie it from a high-scoring chance but Saints goaltender Geordy Addison made a clutch save and St. Peter’s was able to run out the clock for a 7-6 win.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Both coaches had respect for their respective Peterborough school counterparts.

“All the credit to them, they have a great team,” said Ralph. “They're very well-coached with Rod McGillis in his last high school game.”

“They're very well-coached,” said McGillis. “They have a couple very, very good players and on offense, a good offense. It's hard to stop. It takes a lot of character and a lot of patience and skill to get back into that game.”

McGills has announced his retirement from coaching following the game.

Both teams had won their first game on championship day in order to play each other for fifth place. The Saints beat the Denis Morris Reds based out of St. Catherines 11-9. The Griffins took down the Neil McNeil Maroons from Scarborough, 8-6.

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Peterborough Legion Branch 52 Finishes Second In Provincial Darts Tournament

Members of Peterborough Legion Branch 52 hit the mark and took home silver in mixed darts at Branch 498 in Grand Bend, Ont. held on Saturday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Legion.

Teams from all over the province were invited to attend and compete in the annual The Royal Canadian Legion Darts tournament.

Peterborough’s Terry Ainsworth, Holly Lucy, Melody Nauta and Shane Scanlan were representing Branch 52.

June 1 is the next scheduled for next year’s event.

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