Jr. Buzzers Win Niagara Falls Challenge Cup

Press Release

The St. Michaels Jr. Buzzers 1995 AAA team coached by Chris Lazary, (assistant coach of the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the OJHL), participated in the Niagara Falls Challenge Cup Tournament June 17-20 and came home the tournament champions.

The Jr. Buzzers opened up their tournament on Friday, June 17 with a 3-1 win over the Barrie Bandits and finished the tournament undefeated with a 4-0-1 record.

In the Championship game, the Jr. Buzzers faced the South East Nationals from South Carolina. The Jr. Buzzers came out strong but found themselves behind on a Nationals late first period power play goal. The Jr. Buzzers responded less than two minutes later. With only forty nine seconds left in the first period and on a power play, Rocky Fuda kept the puck in at the point and made a beautiful pass to Andrea Voudouris. He fed it to Nello Altomare who was waiting to one time it into the Nationals net to tie the game 1-1.

That goal provided a spark to the team’s offence and just thirty four seconds into the second period, Adam Iacobucci scored their second goal assisted by Vincent Dinunzio and Jackson Parker giving the Jr. Buzzers the lead 2-1. Both teams were stingy defensively the rest of the period and at the end of the second, the Jr. Buzzers led 2-1.

The third period was the most exciting and the best of the tournament. The Nationals tied the game 2-2 midway through the third but the Jr. Buzzers did not back down. They showed their perseverance and determination taking back the lead less than ninety seconds later with a goal by Michael Mantenuto set up by David Lamanna.

The pesky Nationals would not give up and they too came back less than a minute later with a goal tying it up 3-3. The Jr. Buzzers would not be outdone though in this see-saw battle taking the lead back just twenty four seconds later. Stefan Losberg raced in the Nationals zone, recovered a loose puck and passed it Patrick Finamore who was waiting at the point. Finamore fired a bullet to the net and with traffic in front, the puck deflected off a player into the net to make it 4-3 for the Jr. Buzzers. Lucas Mastromattei , in goal for the Jr. Buzzers, made some spectacular saves down the stretch and the Jr. Buzzers went on to win the game and the tournament by a final score of 4-3.

“This was truly a team effort,” said Head Coach Chris Lazary. “Each and every player contributed to the team’s success and deserves to be congratulated for their efforts.”

The team is now preparing for a run at the Chowder cup taking place in the Boston Area from July 5-10, 2011. If you were born in 1995 and are interested in participating please call 416-230-0920.

The Jr. Buzzers Spring/summer program is owned and operated by the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the OJHL. The program focuses on skills development, conditioning with an emphasis on sportsmanship and fair play. Since their inception in1933, the St. Michael’s Buzzers have sent close to the 100 players to the NHL and over 300 have received athletic scholarships from the NCAA or advanced to the OHL

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)