Photo Credit: Jessica Sepkowski
Over the April 19th to 21st weekend in Markham, Ontario, the Soo U18AA Greyhounds hit the road to represent the Northern Ontario Hockey Association at the 2024 U18AA Ontario Hockey Federation Championships along with the Milton Winterhawks, London Jr Knights Green, Markham Islanders, and the Markham Waxers U18 AA.
After bringing home a silver from the 2024 U18AA Ontario Hockey Federation Championships, Brody Kleist led the U18 AA Greyhounds four goals and two assist in six games played while Ethan Agawa and Koen Kurylo rounded out the top three for the U18 AA Greyhounds in six games in Markham with Agawa sinking one goal and adding four assists along with Kurylo registering five assists. Between the pipes, Sebastien Brassard and Peter Gartshore shared the goaltending duties with Brassard playing 180 mins in four games with a goals against average of 4.25 and finishing the championships with two wins and two losses. Gartshore saw action in two games with a record of one win and one loss for a total of 90 minutes.
Soo U18AA Greyhound 17 year old forward Nick Dearing told Saultsports that “coming into the 2023 – 2024 season, I knew we would have a much younger team than the team last year. Knowing this I knew we would have a lot of talent and speed coming up to play with us. As a second year (2007) I knew that I had to step up and be a leader to our younger boys (2008) and welcome them into the league as they are/were first year kids. This whole season was full of ups and downs. But as a team we all came together and battled it out as a family. To be in a program that started 2 years ago and to make ohfs back to back years and to win the season this year with a record of 24-1-2 and to win our NOHA’s, As well as becoming a finalist in OHF’s, you can’t ask more out of the boys,second place in all of Ontario. Everyone knew there role and they all stepped up when it was there time. I know I was proud of our team and our coaches and fans were as well. It was an honour to represent Sault Ste. Marie. Lastly I would like to wish our overagers the best and hope to see them at the rink or outside the rink.
“Going into this year I knew we would have a few young guns coming up from their previous season and jumping up into the U18 league Knowing this I knew we would have to represent as leaders and welcome them in. With me As a second year (2007) I knew that I had to step up and be a leader on and off the ice as well as help the boys out. This whole season was a season to remember through the good and bad, but as a team we all came together and pushed through all the problems and hard things that had occurred. To be a part of a program that I played for for the past two years and to make OHF’s back to back years and to make semis finals one year then finals the next is just a great experience especially with the first years who have another two years and to see the overagers come along from the year before not making it to semis to making it to finals is something to be proud of everyone knew coming in it was going to be tough and we would have to battle but they all stepped up and played a big role in playing their part. To see all the hard work in the practices and winning our league title and finishing with a great record is also nice to have knowing for some kids it would be their last run. I have to say our goalies played a huge part in our tournament without them it would be a different game. I would like to wish our overagers and kids who are moving up to better and greater things or the kids who decide to take a different route the best and hope to see them at the rink or outside the rink. Lastly I would like to thank my coaches for everything they did the whole season and for believing in our team and pushing us to be the best we can be and getting us prepared for the hard battles we had to face,” added 17 Logan Dearing.
“I had the great pleasure of being the captain of this group of talented players. We had all ages for 2006 – 2008 players on this team, as a last year’s player, I couldn’t be more proud on how our year has turned out. We had ups and downs through out the year but our club has always pushed through it and become better. I got to experience back to back OHF. For our returning players best of luck, and for our five graduating players best of luck in your future in and out of the rink. Lastly id like to thank our coaches for everything they’ve done for this hockey club. It’s been a pleasure being apart of this hockey club for the last two years I’ve been on it. Best of luck to everyone,” added Soo U18 AA Greyhound captain Tyler Smokowich.
SUNDAY, APRIL 21 (4:00 P.M) (CHAMPIONSHIP GAME)
MILTON WINTERHAWKS (8) VS VS (2) SOO GREYHOUNDS
1ST PERIOD
(08:51) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – CONNOR COCHREN (THEO SIKIC/NATHAN MORRISON)
(07:54) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – COLIN DAY (ADAM GROZDANOVSKI/MASON KOCHER)
(06:48) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – NOLAN DUPLANTIS (RYAN CUNHA)
2ND PERIOD
(14:45) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – COLIN DAY (ADAM GROZDANOVSKI)
(11:36) SOO GREYHOUNDS – BRODY KLEIST (CALEB WALKER/KOEN KURYLO)
(10:44) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – KIAN BRANDT (NATHAN MORRISON/COLIN DAY) (PP)
(09:53) SOO GREYHOUNDS – NICHOLAS DEARING-ZONGA (DOMANICK CORBETT/LOGAN DEARING-ZONGA)
(05:42) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – KIAN BRANDT (NOAH RACE/CHARLIE WATTS) (PP)
(01:39) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – RYAN CUNHA (UNASSISTED)
3RD PERIOD
(02:26) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – KIAN BRANDT (NOAH RACE/NATHAN MORRISON)
GOALTENDERS
MILTON WINTERHAWKS – LIAM EDWARDS (45:00)
SOO GREYHOUNDS – SEBASTIEN BRASSARD (45:00)
SUNDAY, APRIL 21 (9:00 A.M) (SEMI FINAL)
LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN (1) VS (5)
1ST PERIOD
(10:19) SOO GREYHOUNDS – LOGAN DEARING-ZONGA (ETHAN AGAWA/NICHOLAS DEARING-ZONGA)
(00:54) SOO GREYHOUNDS – CALEB WALKER (KOEN KURYLO)
3RD PERIOD
(14:45) SOO GREYHOUNDS – ETHAN AGAWA (LOGAN DEARING-ZONGA)
(02:25) SOO GREYHOUNDS – JACKSON THORNTON (CALEB WALKER/JEVON JOHNSON) (EN)
(02:09) SOO GREYHOUNDS – HUNTER GORAL-JACKSON (UNASSISTED)
(00:33) LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN – LIAM EDGELL (CALLUM STATCHUK/AXSON CRAGG)
GOALTENDERS
LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN – TYLER STRAIN (45:00)
SOO GREYHOUNDS – SEBASTIEN BRASSARD (45:00)
SATURDAY, APRIL 20 (4:45 P.M)
MARKHAM ISLANDERS (3) VS (4) SOO GREYHOUNDS
1ST PERIOD
(09:07) MARKHAM ISLANDERS – ANTHONY BAGGIERI (LUCA PRIOLO)
2ND PERIOD
(12:26) MARKHAM ISLANDERS – LUCA PRIOLO (MICHAEL COLACCI/SCOTT WELCH)
(11:54) MARKHAM ISLANDERS – KALEB LYTTLETON (COLE AKANDE/MARTIN KOVALENKO)
(08:34) SOO GREYHOUNDS – JEVON JOHNSON (BRODY KLEIST/CALEB WALKER) (PP)
(04:19 SOO GREYHOUNDS – LOGAN DEARING-ZONGA (ETHAN AGAWA/KOEN KURYLO)
(02:33) SOO GREYHOUNDS – BRODY KLEIST (CALEB WALKER/KOEN KURYLO)
3RD PERIOD
(02:04) SOO GREYHOUNDS – JACKSON THORNTON (KOEN KURYLO/BRODY KLEIST)
GOALTENDERS
MARKHAM ISLANDERS – IBRAHIM TAHIR (45:00)
SOO GREYHOUNDS – SEBASTIEN BRASSARD (45:00)
SATURDAY, APRIL 20 (9:30 A.M)
MILTON WINTERHAWKS (9) VS VS (0) SOO GREYHOUNDS
1ST PERIOD
(12:29) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – CONNOR COCHREN (NOAH RACE/THEO SIKIC)
(10:18) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – CONNOR COCHREN (NOAH RACE/RYAN CUNHA) (PP)
(07:42) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – THEO SIKIC (CONNOR COCHREN/NOAH RACE)
(01:05) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – CONNOR COCHREN (THEO SIKIC)
2ND PERIOD
(14:17) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – KIAN BRANDT (RYAN CELIA/ADAM GROZDANOVSKI) (PP)
(10:35) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – RYAN CELIA (NATHAN MORRISON/ADAM GROZDANOVSKI) (PP)
(02:45) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – BRENDAN SUTTON (CONNOR COCHREN) (PP)
(02:17) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – RYAN CELIA (COLIN DAY/ADAM GROZDANOVSKI)
3RD PERIOD
(01:04) MILTON WINTERHAWKS – CHARLIE WATTS (RYAN CUNHA) (PP)
GOALTENDERS
MILTON WINTERHAWKS – PATRICK BAKER (45:00)
SOO GREYHOUNDS – PETER GARTSHORE (45:00)
FRIDAY, APRIL 19 (2:30 P.M)
LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN (5) VS (0) SOO GREYHOUNDS
1ST PERIOD
(12:12) LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN LOGAN FORSTER (CALLUM STATCHUK/JAXSON CRAGG)
(07:30) LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN MATT ROBINSON (STEPHEN BURNETT/BRADY MCINTOSH)
2ND PERIOD
(10:09) LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN – OWEN BEVAN (LIAM SMITH/JAXSON CRAGG) (PP)
(04:42) LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN – EMERSON MCINERNEY (UNASSISTED)
3RD PERIOD
(02:01) LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN – LIAM EDGELL (GAGE LANDGREN)
GOALTENDERS
LONDON KNIGHTS GREEN – TYLER STRAIN (45:00)
SOO GREYHOUNDS – SEBASTIEN BRASSARD (45:00)
FRIDAY, APRIL 19 (10:00 A.M)
MARKHAM WAXERS (2) VS (3) SOO GREYHOUNDS
2ND PERIOD
(12:37) SOO GREYHOUNDS – TYLER SMOKOWICH (TYLER QUENNEVILLE/ HUNTER GORAL-JACKSON)
(10:45) SOO GREYHOUNDS – BRODY KLEIST (JACKSON THORNTON/ETHAN AGAWA)
(09:56) MARKHAM WAXERS – DANIEL CLARKE (#92 SPENCER LITZ/KRISTIAN GARGANIS)
(06:51) SOO GREYHOUNDS – BRODY KLEIST (ETHAN AGAWA/LUUKAS KERANEN) (SH)
3RD PERIOD
(00:35) MARKHAM WAXERS – FRANCESCO BOTTARO (JIMMY CATSANOS/ANDREAS PAPAIOANNOU)
GOALTENDERS
MARKHAM WAXERS – BROCK KALIN (45:00)
SOO GREYHOUNDS – PETER GARTSHORE (45:00)
