TYKES WIN OLA 'D' TITLE!!!

Mavericks punctuate undefeated run with narrow win over Mimico

Fittingly enough, the tyke Mavericks finished their climb to the Ontario 'D' championship against a team known as the Mountaineers.

Battling fatigue as much as its opposition in Whitby Tuesday afternoon -- having had to play one extra game due to an uneven playoff format -- the Zone 8 champs jumped out to an early lead and hung on to edge Mimico 6-5.

The narrow victory capped an unbeaten tournament for the local tykes and gave them their second provincial title in three years.

Delivering his fifth multi-goal performance of the three-day showcase against Mimico, Peyton Bizier sank the eventual game-winner with about two-and-a-half minutes remaining -- scooping up a loose ball in front and one-timing it past the Mountaineers' netminder.

Mimico would draw within a goal with 17 seconds remaining, but ran out of time to close the gap. That was due in large part to some key saves earlier on by Griffin Ellis-Callow and ample defensive support from Zachary Plater and Matthew Moore.

Bizier also scored through the initial stages of the final and ended the provincials with a team-leading 15 goals.

Joey Szabo also tallied twice with the title on the line, while singles were chipped in by Michael Scarfone and Justin Whetham.

While the Mavericks punctuated their championship run in dramatic fashion, their drive to the finals was rather dominant -- with four of their five other wins secured by at least seven goals.

That included a 9-2 semifinal rout of the Huntsville Hawks Tuesday morning, during which Bizier led offensively with his second four-goal game and Ellis-Callow held opposing snipers at bay.

Callum MacGregor also stood out with two goals and an assist.

The only real test Milton had en route to the championship came against Shelburne, who held a two-goal lead heading into the third period of the round-robin finale.

Distancing themselves from some penalty trouble that interrupted their offensive surge, the Mavericks fortified their efforts to prevail 9-6.

Milton bombed Arthur 11-3 in the quarterfinals, while others to go down hard to the would-be champs were Six Nations (10-3) and Caledon (10-1).

Whetham had a total of eight goals in Whitby, while Szabo and MacGregor had five each.

Rounding out the championship squad were Griffin Belanger, Andrew Cascagnette, Liam Dick, Michael Hasselfeldt, Connor Michailoff and Michael O'Shea.