Submitted by Tom Cunningham,
U11 Brave Coach
On February 14, the Bruce Peninsula Brave U11 girls travelled to Barrie to compete in the Barrie Sharks Winter Classic.
The girls sailed through their first three preliminary round games without allowing a single goal against. They defeated the Stoney Creek Sabres 5–0, the Barrie Sharks Red 6–0, and the Barrie Sharks Teal 5–0.
The Brave finished the round robin as the tournament’s top seed with an impressive +16 goal differential. This earned them home-ice advantage for the remainder of the tournament — and the opportunity to wear their “lucky” teal jerseys.
In Sunday evening’s quarterfinal matchup, the Brave faced a strong Sudbury Lady Wolves team and encountered their first real adversity of the tournament. A crucial third-period penalty shot save by Brave goaltender Baylor Shipley Smith shifted the momentum, helping secure a 6–3 victory and their fourth straight win.
On Family Day Monday, the girls were back at the rink early for their semifinal game against the Woolwich Wild. The Wild were no match for the determined Brave, who earned another shutout victory, 5–0.
The championship game featured two undefeated teams battling for gold: the Bruce Peninsula Brave and the Barrie Sharks Green. And what a game it was.
Barrie struck first, putting the Brave behind for the first time in the tournament. Emotions ran high on the bench through a hard-fought, scoreless second period. Still trailing 1–0 as the third period progressed, the pressure mounted.
With 6:29 remaining, Brave defender Mya Mast tied the game with an incredible end-to-end rush. Just two minutes later, Mast struck again to give the Brave the lead. After a nail-biting final stretch in their own zone, she sealed the victory with an empty-net goal — completing a hat trick in the championship game.
As the final buzzer sounded, the celebration began. While the gold medal marked the end of an unforgettable weekend, the team’s performance resonated far beyond the rink, filling the Bruce Peninsula community with pride. The tournament proved that while individual efforts can change a game, it is dedication to teammates and commitment to one another that define true success.
