Mar 19, 2018 | ntsai | 1208 views
Bantam AAA Reaches ETA Finals
Never say die, and the Oshawa Bantam AAA club never did. With a 5-3 win in Peterborough on Sunday, the team reached the ETA final, a stunning accomplishment given the season's results.
With a 7-1 playoff record including a 6 game win streak, the Bantams, coached by Grant Johnston and Richard Bercuson, ran over Kingston and Clarington in the quarter finals and then Central Ontario Wolves and Peterborough Petes in the semis.
Backed by the stellar goaltending of Cameron Johnston and the scoring exploits of Tommy Johnston, the bantam boys surpassed their season's win record of just 4 en route to the finals berth. Thanks to a solid team effort, the boys allowed only 16 goals in 8 playoff games, a far cry from the 5.00 goals against of the regular season.
Despite a regular season beset by injuries, illness, player loss and depleted lineups, the bantams turned things around just after Christmas, beginning with a 3-2 Dec 29 win over a touring Finland team. They now await the result from the other conference to see if their final opponents will be Barrie, Ajax-Pickering, or York-Simcoe.