Oswego, NY – The Oswego Squirt I Hockey Team won the 2012-13 Snowbelt League John Abbott Memorial (JAM) Tournament held this past weekend in Clayton, New York.
The Bucs defeated Onondaga 5-2 in the championship game.
The Bucs defeated Onondaga 5-2 in the championship game.
Oswego has now won 8 of their last 10 games.
Oswego opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over Thousand Islands Blue. Spencer Stepien led the team with 2 goals, while Aidan Taylor had 1 goal and an assist. Derek Sabatini added a goal, and Tyler May and Bryson Bush (2) added assists.
Oswego Goalie Brandon Demling had 10 saves in the win. The strong play of JJ Harter, Joe Palmer, Alex Thorpe, Alex Vescio, Billy Waterbury, and Cole Cullinan, helped secure the win over Thousand Islands, and benefitted the team throughout the weekend.
The Oswego Squirts faced the Onondaga Thunder in their second game of the tournament and tied 2-2. Oswego jumped out early in the first period when Taylor scored unassisted. Onondaga would tie it up with :27 remaining in the period, before Stepien found Waterbury for the Bucs early in the second. The Thunder added another in the third period to finish out the scoring.
Demling made 22 saves and continued his strong play in net.
In the final qualifying game of the tourney, Oswego jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, before finishing off the Elmira Jackals 6-1. Taylor added 2 goals and 1 assist, Stepien 1 goal and 1 assist, Bush 1 goal and 1 assist, May 1 goal, and Waterbury 1 goal. Registering the other assist was Harter.
Oswego goalie Demling picked up 19 saves in the win.
The win over Elmira advanced Oswego to the championship game and into a rematch against the Onondaga Thunder.
In the championship game, Oswego took a 5-0 lead through 2 periods and never looked back, taking home the Snowbelt trophy and banner, with a 5-2 win. Taylor garnered a hat trick, while Bush and Palmer added the other netters. Cullinan (2) and Stepien added the assists.
“I am so proud of this team coming together, and taking home the championship,” said Oswego Head Coach Dan Taylor. “The kids played amazing in the qualifying round, but there was no stopping them in the championship.
“We had lost to Onondaga twice and tied them once, but we knew we could beat them and did it when it counted,” he added. “The team has peaked at the right time, just as we had hoped, playing and winning as champions.”
The Oswego Snowbelt Squirt I coaching staff includes: Head Coach Dan Taylor and Assistants Pete Cullinan, Nick Demling and Shawn Ocorr.
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