2001 Wilmette PeeWee Gold Hockey Team

TEAM ROSTER

Kage Brown

Kyle Brown

Jimmy Cook

Matt Giangreco

Noel Gran

Amit Grumet-Morris

David Gustman

Hunter Gustman

Mark Ingram (G)

Charlie Matthews

Connor Olvany

Ian Proctor

Alex Rosenberg

TEAM NEWS

NIHL 2nd Place Banner Winners
Congratulations to the Coaches, Players and Parents on an outstanding season

GAME SUMMARIES

2/9/02 Peewee Gold vs. Vikings AHAI State Tournament

To sum it up in one word - frustrating! For the second time in five days, the Braves took to the ice to face the Vikings - this time for the right to go to the State Tournament Round Robin. Despite outshooting the Vikings by a 2-1 margin, the Braves wound up on the short end of the score - courtesy of some missed opportunities and a white-hot Vikings goalie. The Braves were significantly outnumbered by the black-clad visitors who had their full team of 15 skaters available. The game opened at the fast pace typical of games between these two clubs with the action going end-to-end. After killing an early penalty, Kage Brown took a feed from Alex Rosenberg and sent a blast from the circle through the Vikings' goalie to get the Braves on the board at 6:06 in the first. The Braves continued to press, forcing the Viking's netminder to make 3 big saves in the closing seconds of the period to keep his team in the game.

The second frame started with the Braves on the powerplay. This effort produced several good scoring opportunities for Kage Brown & Connor Olvany but the lamp stayed un-lit. Late in the period, the defense surrendered a clean breakaway and the Viking forward sent a perfect shot just inside the post to knot the score at 3:09 remaining. The Braves then killed off a penalty without allowing a single shot.

In the third period, the pattern continued with the Braves outshooting the Vikings 15-3. Noel Gran had a backhand shot at an open net after faking the goalie to his knees only to miss wide. David Gustman had a clean breakaway only to be hauled down from behind. As the period wore on the tired defense began to press and eventually gave up a breakaway. Forced past the goal line, the Viking forward sent a pass back to a trailer whose shot rebounded wide to the glove side of goalie Mark Ingram. The first man there was a Viking and the Braves trailed 2-1 at 4:55 remaining. The Braves continued their attack with the Vikings' goalie coming up big on several scoring chances and the Braves walked off the ice thwarted. Several sticks bite the dust in the locker room as a token of the Braves frustration. Well - on to Joliet and the NIHL Championship Game!

Total shots for the game were Wilmette 26 - Vikings 12.

2/4/02 Peewee Gold vs. Vikings NIHL Round Robin Playoffs

The first period started with the Braves applying great pressure on the Vikings. The Braves dominated play and the 4 major scoring opportunities were stopped. Good defense limited the Vikings to only 1 scoring opportunity. Shots for the period were Braves 5 Vikings 1.

The beginning of the second period had the Braves continue to pressure the Vikings. After the Vikings goalie made a tremendous save, the Vikings moved it up ice and scored with 9:14 left in the period.The period ended with score the Vikings 1 Braves 0. Shots for the period were Braves 9 Vikings 4.

The Braves came out in the third period flying. The Vikings develop a 2 on 1 and the Braves defense breaks it up. Backchecking, Kage Brown picks up the loose puck and turn it up ice. He spots David Gustman and headmans the puck to David. David crosses the Vikings blue line and at the top of the left circle, winds up and lets the shot fly. The shots gets through the goalie crosses the goal line and the game is tied with 9:17 left in the game. The Braves kept the pressure on. With just les than 6 minutes left Conner Olvany forechecking pins the puck in the Vikings corner. With a nice move kicking to get free, Conner passes to David Gustman right in front. David fires and scores through the five hole. Braves lead 2-1 with 5:26 left in the game. With over 2:00 minutes left the Vikings pull their goalie and start trying to get a scoring chance. The Vikings get the puck in front of the Braves net and a scrum ensued. 1, 2 shots fired and the Vikings score tie the game 2 with :34 seconds left. The game ended in a tie and shots for the game were 19-9 in favor of the Braves. The tie sends Wilmette to the NIHL Championship game in Joliet next Sunday. congratulations to the team and good luck next week.

2/2/02 PW Gold vs. Joliet at Northbrook

The first game of the NIHL Tournament was against Joliet. The first period set the tone of the game to be a physical one. The physical play cut down the scoring chances and was keyed by good defense play by Hunter Gustman, Alex Rosenberg, Connor Olvany, and Ian Proctor. Late in the first period Charlie Matthews, battling for the puck along the boards in the neutral zone, poked the puck free. Matt Giangreco picked up the loose puck. He headmaned the puck to Noel. Noel streaked in and fired, scoring through the five hole.

The first period ended Wilmette 1 Joliet 0, shots Wilmette 4 Joliet 3.

The second period was hard fought with physical play. Joliet's physical style neutralized Wilmette's ability to pass, skate, and get scoring chances. The period ended with score 1-0 and shots for the period were Wilmette 5 Joliet 4.

The 3 period was mired with many penalties. Early in the 3rd period, with Wilmette on a penalty kill, Kyle Brown gained control in his own zone. Passed up the near boards to Kage Brown. Kage forwards it to Noel Gran. Noel cuts to the center, shoots from 20 feet out splitting the defensemen and in the upper left corner. Wilmette now lead 2-0.

Wilmette killed the rest of the penalty, but Joliet started putting on the pressure. The shots and scoring chances were turned away by Mark Ingram. He was awesome and kept the Joliet scoreless to finish the game. Wilmette and Mark shut out Joliet 2-0. Joliet out shot the Braves 13-12.

2/3/02 PW Gold vs. Hawks at Northbrook

Wilmette came out motivated for their second NIHL playoff game against the Hawks. The first period was fast and furious with Wilmette creating scoring opportunities, but the Hawks goalie was outstanding. The period ended 0-0 and the Braves out shooting the Hawks 10-6.

The second period was action packed. Early in the period Wilmette had great puck movement in the Hawks zone. Kyle Brown passed back to the point to Alex Rosenberg. Alex wound for a slapper and let it fly. David Gustman screening in front tipped the shot in for the Braves first score. 1-0 Braves. On the same shift Kyle carried the puck behind the Hawks net, found David Gustman right outside the crease. David fired and it trickled through the five hole for the score. Braves lead 2-0. When the period ended the Braves out shot the Hawks 8-5.

The third period saw Wilmette dominate play. Midway through the third period, Wilmette kept the puck in the Hawks zone. David Gustman got the puck in the corner, passed it Kage Brown at the hash mark. Kage winds up and blasts it in to the net. Braves 3-0. With 2:30 left in the period, the hawks pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. The few opportunities they managed to get were saved with spectacular moves by Mark Ingram. The Braves turned it back up ice and got it into the Hawks zone. Matt Giangreco battled for the puck in the corner, passed it to Hunter Gustman streaking in from the point Hunter fired a wrist shot from 20 feet out and put it in the upper right corner for the empty netter. The game ended Braves 4 Hawks 0 and Wilmette out shooting the Hawks 29-14.

Wilmette Braves v. Park Ridge Express 1-26-2002

The final game and tune up for the playoffs did not get off to an inspired start. After a lackadaisical warm up our team waltzed up to the opening faceoff. Maybe the boys were confident they'd know how to turn it on when they needed to. Anyway, they started out slowly. Only after a few really solid hits did they start to get into the game. As usual, Kyle Brown provided the early attitude adjustment. He hit everyone in sight during his second shift - and it had a positive effect on our guys. Both Noel and Connor followed in his lead and delivered some bone crushing blows. No better way to get into the game - everything follows when you start to play physical. Of course, when you play physical you're going to see some bodies in the penalty box - and we did. The team was down 2 men and counting on its penalty killing unit. Everyone Brian put out there did the job. Mark made two great saves and this seemed to spark us. Toward the end of the period the boys were in control. Noel handled the puck just inside the Express' blueline and made a good move to the net - firing a backhander low to the stickside. Even though the goalie got a skate on the shot, Charlie Matthews put the rebound by him for the first goal of the game.

The second period our boys continued playing with better intensity and their forechecking lead to a powerplay opportunity. Kage and David worked the puck well with Kyle and Noel on the powerplay but did not score. Towards the end of the period Connor made a great effort to keep the puck in the offensive zone, passing it from his knees on the ice to Kage. Kage then made a beautiful pass to Matt who scored to give us a two goal advantage before the end of the period.

In the third period the boys continued their physical play and we got to see some more penalty killing. And kill them our guys did. No matter who was out, each guy did his job and shut down the Express. Eventually we wore the other team down and the scoring barrage started. Conner scored the third goal after the team kept the puck down in the Express' zone for over a minute. On his next shift, Conner pushed the puck in deep to Kyle who found Noel all alone in front. Enough said. Four zip. The next shift Alex decided to get his name on the scoresheet. After trying a wrap around, he took the puck around the other side of the net and lifted a backhand over the goalie's shoulder. David scored the final goal on a great shot after a perfect pass from Kyle. Although it wasn't a thing of beauty, the team did what it had to do to win. Wilmette 6 - Express 1. On to the real season now - the NIHL and Sate playoffs. This should be a lot of fun. Good luck guys!

1/22/2002 Peewee Gold vs. Blues

As the regular season of NIHL is being completed every game is critical. The Blues needed a victory to stay in the race and Wilmette needed to continue their momentum in to the post season. Wilmette came out totally charged up and put pressure on the Blues immediately. Matt Giangreco pressured the Blues defense as he tried to get the puck out of the Blues zone. That pressure forced an errant pass Noel Gran intercepted. Noel worked through a defenseman and from just outside the center hash marks ripped a shot beating the goalie only 1 minute 15 seconds. in to the game. Wilmette kept the pressure with solid forechecking and puck control. As Ian Proctor was breaking out of the Braves zone, he saw Noel crossing from the weak side. A perfect pass sent Noel on a one on one. Noel turned on the jets, beating the defenseman, curling towards the net. The goalie tried to sprawl as Noel crossed in front. Noel tucked under the goalie to make it 2-0 at 7:43 of the first period. The period ended with a score of 2-0 and shots on goal Wilmette 8-Blues 1.

Early in the second period the Braves went on a power play. Kyle Brown, from the right point passed to Kage Brown at the left point. Kage fired a shot and Connor Olvany tipped it in at 9:00 to make the score 3-0 Braves. Shots for the period were 6-3 in favor of the Braves.

In the third period the Blues worked hard to get back in the game but good team defense by Alex Rosenberg and Hunter Gustman warded off the attack. The Braves kept the heat on with hard forechecking and good play making. The Blues finally scored with 1:08 left in the game. The final shot tally for the game was Braves 19- Blues 9. Braves win 3-1.

GAME SCHEDULE

9/14 Holland T 3-3

9/15 Holland L 3-2

9/15 Holland W 8-1

9/22 Hawks T 3-3

9/23 Vikings W 3-1

9/30 Blues W 2-1

10/2 Joliet W 4-3

10/7 Northbrook T 0-0

10/9 Cyclones T 1-1

10/13 Flames W 4-1

10/17 Express W 2-1

10/27 Waukesha T 0-0

10/30 Sabres W 2-1

11/3 Joliet W 3-1

11/4 Rockford W 4-0

11/7 Express W 1-0

11/10 Peoria W 5-1

11/21 Huskies Cent St L 4-1

11/23 Flames Cent St L 4-0

11/24 Cyclones W 3-0

11/25 Flames Cent St L 1-0

12/1 Northbrook L 2-1

12/2 Northbrook T 2-2

12/8 Vikings W 2-1

12/9 Cyclones T 1-1

12/12 Lk County W 8-0

12/15 Flames W 6-1

12/16 Blues W 3-0

12/21 Hawks W 2-1

1/7 Winnetka CentSt W 5-1

1/9 Hawks W 5-0

1/12 Flames W 4-1

1/13 Waukesha W 2-0

1/22 Blues W 3-1

1/26 Express W 6-0

2/2 Joliet W 2-0

2/3 Hawks W 4-0

2/4 Vikings T 2-2

2/9 Vikings L 2-1

2/10 Northbrook L 3-0

TEAM ARCHIVES

12/12/01 Wilmette 8 - Atoms 0

On a dark, rainy night the Braves journeyed north to Waukegan to play the Atoms. Still missing the injured Amit Grumet-Morris, the Boys in Blue knew they had to take care of business and take home 2 points to keep pace in the division. Almost immediately after the puck dropped, it became clear that Wilmette had a significant edge in team speed and the Atoms spent most of the first period penned in their end. The Braves dominated the period but were only able to register 6 shots on net and had nothing to show for their efforts. Several opportunities for clean breakaways failed when a cross-ice pass missed. In fact, the best scoring opportunity of the period went to the Atoms on a rare foray into Braves territory when an incoming forward scooped up a loose rebound and forced goalie Mark Ingram to make a diving save to the glove side to keep the game scoreless. As the period ended, the fans were concerned that the effort would be wasted and we would see another nail-biter.

That fear soon faded when the Braves took the second period face off deep into the Atoms zone. A quick pass by Noel Gran from behind the net to David Gustman in front and the Braves were on the board with only 16 seconds gone in the 2nd. Not 40 seconds later, Matt Giangreco passed across the crease to Noel who tapped it home for the second goal. The Atoms counter-attacked and forced Mark to make another key save (his only save of the period) to prevent the Atoms from regaining the momentum. Three minutes later, David Gustman corralled a loose puck behind the net, wrapped around the post, around a startled goalie and deposited the puck into a wide-open net. Two minutes later David completed his hat-trick by scoring again from a scrum in front of the net created by Hunter Gustman's shot from the slot. At the end of the period, the Braves led 4-0 and were really working on their passing game.

To open the third period, Kage Brown took a pass from David on the opening face off, split the defense and scored with 8 seconds gone in the third period. Eighteen seconds later, the same combination connected again on an identical play and the Braves were up 6-0! With a running clock, the third period went by quickly, but there was time for Kyle Brown to make the defensive play of the game when he picked the pocket of a lone Atom trying to score on a breakaway. David Gustman got his 4th goal of the night when he took a pass from Matt Giangreco and slammed it home with 2:26 remaining. Connor Olvany iced the cake with 7 seconds remaining when he collected Ian Proctor's rebound and slammed it home for a final score of 8-0.

While this game may have been a mismatch, the boys did prove to themselves the value of passing - when you pass, you score!. Hopefully, we will see more of it in the games ahead. Total shots for the game were Wilmette 28 - Atoms 5

12/8/01 Wilmette Peewee Gold 2 Vikings 1

The game started with both teams flying but both unable to get any great scoring chances. Midway through the period, Wilmette began to pass better and the pressure was on. Good puck movement kept the puck in the Braves control. Kyle Brown passed it to Noel Gran entering the Vikings zone. Noel took the puck low, passed to Jimmy Cook high in the slot. Jimmy took a shot and the Vikings goalie got in front it. The rebound came out. Jimmy followed his shot, dove poking at the rebound and scored. Braves lead 1-0. Later in the period, the Braves penalty kill was awesome. During the kill Alex Rosenberg, Hunter Gustman, Connor Olvany, and Ian Proctor with great defense were successful limiting the Vikings to one shot. The period ended with the score 1-0 Braves leading. Shots were 8-1 in favor of the Braves.

The Vikings were not going to go away easy. They turned up the pace in the second period and Mark Ingram was up to the task. Through one flurry Mark made 3 flopping saves to the awe of all the fans. The Vikings kept up the pressure and finally scored. The period ended with the score 1-1. The shots in the second period were 6-10 in favor of the Vikings.

The Braves came out flying in the third period. Early in the period the Braves were scrambling for the puck in front of the Vikings net. The puck squirted out to Kyle Brown. Kyle took a quick wrister, perfect shot in the upper left corner. The Vikings tried to climb back into the game but the strong team play by the Braves limited the Vikings opportunities. The game ended with a Braves victory 2-1. Final shots for the game were Braves 19, Vikings 13.

12/2/01 Wilmette 2 Northbrook 2

The PeeWee AA team met Northbrook for the fourth time this season on Sunday night. As was to be expected, the unexpected happened. Northbrook opened the scoring on the very first shift, as one of their wings hit a wrist shot past Braves� goalie Mark Ingram at 10:43. After an up-and-down the ice period, Wilmette finally got on the board, with Amit Grumet-Morris taking a great pass from Kyle Brown and sliding the puck in the net at 0:37.

The guys continued the pressure in the second period, with Charlie Mathews feeding Noel Gran on a fine pass, but the shot was just wide of the goal; Jimmy Cook also made a nice sweep shot. Then, at 1:08 of the second, Matt Giangreco sent a soft pass from his right side going left, which was tapped in by Noel Gran. Wilmette now led 2-1 to end the second period.

The Braves began the third period on the power play, but were unable to capitalize, getting only 1 shot. The minutes began to wind down; everyone felt: �this time, we got �em�. Spoken too soon. Northbrook tied the score with 4:31 remaining. And it ended that way. These two squads will likely meet again in February at the NIHL playoffs. Stay tuned.

12/1/01 PeeWee Gold vs Northbrook
Early pressure in the first period by the Braves resulted in the first goal by Matt Giangreco with an assist from Kyle Brown. Other scoring chances came from Kage Brown and Charlie Matthews. The first period ended with the Braves up 1 to 0. The second period again saw the Braves keeping the puck down in the opponent's end, but coming up short in the goal department. The tide seemed to turn when the Bluehawk's goalie made a terrific save from another Brown - Giangreco connection with Matt just missing the net! Northbrook answered with two goals in the period- one at 6:28 and the other with 30 seconds left. The third period saw the Braves battle back, with some great opportunities. With time running out Mark Ingram was pulled to give Wilmette six skaters, but we came up short with the score ending at 2 - 1.

11/24/01 Silver Stick Tournament: Wilmette 3 - Cyclones 0

Faced with a must-win game in the final round-robin game of the Silver Stick Tournament, the Braves came out flying against the taller Cyclones squad. Knowing they had to win by 3 (and get some help from the Flames), the Braves set to work using their speed to completely befuddle the Cyclones. Using their trademark swarming defense, the Braves held the Cyclones to just one shot in the first period while registering 8 of their own. The best scoring chance came on a booming slapshot from Alex Rosenberg high in the slot. Jimmy Cook went for the tip but was unable to get it past the netminder, The period ended with nothing on the scoreboard but the tone of the game had been established.

Whatever Coach Bryan said to the boys in the break worked wonders. Less than 30 seconds into the second period, the Braves got on the board when Kage Brown cycled around from behind the net, wheeled and blasted the puck through a stunned Cyclones goalie. The rest of the period was marked by continued pressure by the Braves generated despite some sloppy passing in the Cyclones zone.

In the third frame, Amit Grumet-Morris got the Braves fired up by charging the net for a rebound off his own shot. A Cyclones defender took exception and both went to the penalty box. Thus energized, the Braves turned up the pressure and lit the lamp again when Kyle Brown, lurking high in the slot, took a nice feed from Ian Proctor on the boards and blasted it to the back of the net with 8:11 remaining. Charlie Matthews gave the fans a real scare when a hard hit in the neutral zone detached his helmet and sent him crashing to the ice. Play stopped for several minutes to allow Charlie time to gather his wits - fortunately he was not seriously hurt. When play resumed, Alex was able to put the exclamation point on the victory when he charged in, picked up Amit's rebound deep in the Cyclones zone and flipped it past the Cyclones netminder with 2:13 remaining. Goalies usually get the credit for shut-outs but this was a case of team defense stifling the opposition and making the goalie almost irrelevant! A dominating performance by the Braves - showing that the experience of the previous two games had done nothing to discourage them. Total shots for the game were Wilmette 26 - Cyclones 4
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11/25/01 Silver Stick Tournament Semi-Final: Flames CSDHL 1 - Wilmette 0

Returning to Glen Ellyn for the fourth time in five days, the Braves faced the Flames CSDHL club for the second time in a semi-final matchup. Having learned in their previous meeting that they could play at the level of the Flames and reinforced by the return of Connor Olvany from Florida and Noel Gran from his sickbed (both had missed the previous meeting with the Flames), the Braves took to the ice full of confidence that they could win this game. The Flames, however, had other plans. They opened the game with a furious burst - outshooting the Braves 13-3 in the first period in an effort to put the game away early. Goalie Mark "the Wall" Ingram, well-rested after the Cyclones game, had to live up to his nickname; turning aside shot after shot and directing each rebound safely into the corners. He made two key saves early in the period - stuffing clean breakaways at close range.

Perhaps deflated by their failure to score in the first period, the Flames came down to earth in the second frame and play became more evenly balanced. Wilmette had two golden scoring opportunities when first Kage Brown and David Gustman, and then Amit Grumet-Morris and Jimmy Cook, had 2-on-1 breakaways straight down the center of the ice but were unable to complete their plays.

The third period was even more evenly played as the Braves got stronger and the Flames grew more discouraged. The Braves generated an exciting flurry around the net halfway through the period that had the fans on their feet cheering wildly. The frustrated Flames then gave up consecutive minor penalties that gave the Braves almost 4 minutes of powerplay time. They responded by peppering the Flames' net with excellent shots and several near misses. Unfortunately, the Flames netminder (who had seen only limited action thus far) was equal to the task and the Braves came away empty-handed. The Flames managed one significant play during this stretch when a forward chased a loose puck into the Braves zone. With no defenseman able to cover, Mark came out to play the puck in the face-off circle. After poking the puck away, Mark finished the play by flattening the surprised Flame with a clean check. Mark's next foray out of the net was less successful: a mis-communication on a routine handoff to a defenseman gave a Flame fore-checker a golden opportunity - a clean shot at a wide open net - which he promptly missed by a foot! Perhaps Mark used up his ninth life on this play because, as the clock wound down and overtime seemed inevitable, a turnover behind the net allowed a clear shot as the play came out to the glove side. Mark made the first save but the rebound fell at the feet of a Flame forward who flipped it home with 9.8 seconds remaining in the game. The Flames seemed almost stunned at their sudden success but the Braves came off the ice with their heads held high - disappointed but knowing that they had pushed their opponents to the limit. Well done! We look forward to the next meeting of these two clubs. Total shots for the game were Flames 32 - Wilmette 14.

11-21-01 vs Huskies Central States
       The tone of the game was set early when the Braves missed several checks. The Central States Huskies team's speed was clearly not at a level yet seen by our Pee Wee Gold team. This led to 2 goals in the first period despite some brilliant saves by goaltender Mark Ingram.
       A late first period power play produced good puck movement and the Braves' only goal of the night. A low slap shot from the point by Kyle Brown made it past the Huskies' netminder with 2:01 left in the period. Kage Brown got the only assist.
       There was no scoring in the second period but persistent Huskies pressure early in the third period led to two goals sandwiching a beautiful stacked-pads save by Mark Ingram on a well executed 2 on 1 play.
       On an optimistic note, the Wilmette Power Play was strong, producing the team's best scoring chances of the night.
       The team is off for Thanksgiving day and will resume tournament play on Friday 11-23-01.

11/10/01 Pee Wee Gold Beats Peoria Wilmette's Pee Wee Gold team decisively beat a previously undefeated Peoria team this afternoon by a score of 5 to 1. The game featured solid play by all participants on Wilmette's Gold team as well as good passing and play making by individual lines. Goalie Mark Ingram had an outstanding game with 23 saves. Wilmette was clearly in control from the outset. In the first period at 5:36 David Gustman scored the opening goal on a wrist shot that was assisted by Jimmy Cook. After this there was a flurry of activity by the Braves but no goals. Then at 6:08 Noel Gran made a move on the Rivermen defense and scored off a strong shot. He was assisted by Hunter Gustman. This set up the confidence and team play that was exhibited in this game.

The second period of play featured a big rush by David Gustman and strong forechecking by Amit Grumet-Morris. At 9:00 it looked like Peoria scored a goal but apparently it went off the post. With this bit of luck Wilmette continued to pick up steam. The third goal, scored by Kyle Brown with :52 seconds left in the game, really set the Braves up for the third period. Noel Gran and Matt Giangreco also received assists on that goal, exhibiting consistent team play.

In the third period the Braves continued to look strong, despite the size and persistent chippiness of the Peoria Rivermen. Wilmette's smaller, but extremely skilled players like Charlie Matthews and Amit Grumet-Morris continued to move the puck conscientiously. Laura Brown, mother of Kyle Brown commented that the Braves looked in control and Lisa Gustman added that they were hustling. Unfortunately Peoria scored on a rebound at 5:36. However, the Braves quickly recovered with a goal by David Gustman at 1:41, assisted by Noel Gran and Kage Brown. Then thirty seconds later Amit Grumet-Morris had a spectacular backhand goal that landed in the top corner of the net. This sealed the game for the Braves and put the score at 5-1. Coaches Bryan Keas, Christian Delanauze, and Jason Skarvenina were pleased with the win and happy with the performance of the players, all of whom ended with either pluses or points. The game was well attended by an enthusiastic crowd that included celebrities such as Christine Melton who cheered for the Braves.

Written by Cindi Giangreco with reporting by Laura Brown and Lisa Gustman.

PeeWee Gold vs. Express in Park Ridge 11/7

The Braves Peewee Gold had a very exciting game vs. Express on November 7 in Park Ridge. Fast action with great defense made for a great game.

The first period started off with fast, back and forth, end to end action. Great saves by Mark Ingram and one by Ian Proctor kept the Braves in the game as the Express outshot the Braves 6-3. The period ended 0-0 and all the fans wondering if the teams could keep the up the pace for the whole game.

The second period was just as fast, as Wilmette began to work their puck control strategy. Half way through the period the Braves had to kill a 5 on 3 penalty. Great passing and solid defense killed the penalty and then they fired a flurry of pressure on the Express. The Braves kept pressure on by good passing and cycling the puck. Strong defense by Alex Rosenberg, and Hunter Gustman limited the Express to very few offensive opportunities. The period ended 0-0 but Wilmette outshot the Express 10-3. The tables had turned.

In the third period the Braves got their chance on a 5 on 3 worked the puck around very well, being patient to great a good scoring opportunity. As the Express tried to break up the passing, they deflected a pass to Noel Gran positioned 15 feet to the right of the net. Noel fired a shot upper corner to take the lead. The Express tried to mount pressure for the remainder of the period, but big saves by Mark Ingram and strong team defense sealed the victory for the Braves. Both teams had 4 shots on goal and the game ended with the Braves victory 1-0.

10/17/01 Wilmette at Express Passing and defensive consistency helped the Wilmette Braves edge past the Park Ridge Express by a score of 2-1. The Express team had previously given up only seven goals all year. However, early in the first period at 10:05 Amit Grumet-Morris released a strong shot that scored top shelf. A crushing check at 8:30 by center Kyle Brown set the tone for aggressive play. Toward the end of the period at 4:25 Jimmy Cook scored for Wilmette from Kage Brown to make it 2-0. Wilmette had several good rushes including aggressive play by Assistant Captain Charlie Matthews and Grumet-Morris but did not score again. At 2:24 The Express scored when a bad bounce off the boards gave the Park Ridge team the lucky break they needed.

At the beginning of the second period shots from Matt Giangreco and Connor Olvany were fired but saved. Wilmette seemed determined to fire up its offense but to no avail. A check from behind called on Express player #5 gave Wilmette an opening to score. Although Jimmy Cook released a shot at the end of the power play the goalie was able to make the glove save. The score remained 2-1.

The third period was a virtual deadlock. Wilmette worked hard including several rushes by Noel Gran and Giangreco. In the end the score was 2-1 Wilmette. Coach Bryan Keas was pleased with the defensive play and cited Jimmy Cook and Amit Grumet-Morris for special individual accolades. Alex Rosenberg was cited by unnamed sources for consistent defensive play. Keas was a little disappointed with the performance of the offense but called a mandatory Saturday practice to take care of the problem. The parents were relieved that this "nail biter" of a game was over and ended successfully.

10/13/01 Wilmette 4 - Flames 1

In a game that was almost rained out due to heavy flooding in Glen Ellen, the Braves thoroughly extinguished the visiting Flames - dominating them from the outset. First, however, both teams had to brave the elements and negotiate 6+ inches of standing water in parts of the Centennial parking lake (I mean parking lot)! The Gold came out flying; pining the Flames deep in their zone for much of the game using some excellent speed and even better passing. The defensive corps of Rosenberg, Olvany, Proctor and Gustman played a splendid game tonight - suffocating the visitors all night. The Flames offered a few offensive forays in the first period, including an early 2-on-1 break that goalie Mark Ingram had to stuff but for the most part it was all Braves. Kage Brown got the Braves on the board with 8:55 remaining in the first when he tapped home a loose rebound from a David Gustman shot. Despite some intense pressure, the Braves could not score again - even with an 8-4 shot advantage.

In the second period, a wide open Kyle Brown was robbed early on a point blank slapper from the slot by an sterling glove save by the Flames netminder. Midway through the period, a rare Braves turnover in the neutral zone gave the Flames a 2-on-1 break and their only shot of the second period. A high shot from the circle found its way to the back of the net to tie the score. A bit burned, the Braves roared back and scored again less than 2 minutes later. Kyle Brown, along the left hand boards, passed to Matt Giangreco who slid the puck across the slot to a wide open Noel Gran. Noel's shot beat the netminder to give Wilmette the lead again. Less than a minute later, the Gran-Giangreco connection struck again on an almost identical play - except this time it was Noel sliding the puck from the left boards through the slot to Matt - who one-timed it for the score. The period was also marked by a number of break away attempts by a speedy David Gustman and some booming slapshots from the point by defenseman Alex Rosenberg.

In the third period, the Flames grew frustrated and the game became somewhat chippy with a parade of players visiting the penalty box. The Braves pressed hard, pinning the Flames in for most of the period. They could not convert their chances until mid-way thorough the period when Jimmy Cook took a pass form Kage Brown in the corner, floated across the lane and gently slid the puck past the sprawling Flames netminder. A Flames powerplay opportunity gave them their only serious scoring threat - requiring a sterling save from an otherwise under-employed Mark Ingram to preserve the margin and keep the Flames netminder in his crease during the closing minutes of the game. Total shots for the game were Wilmette 22 - Flames 6.

10/9/01 vs Cyclones

The Peewee Gold team played a physical Cyclones and tied in a low scoring 1-1 game.

The first period was heavy checking period with shots being minimal. Strong defense by Hunter Gustman, Ian Proctor, and Alex Rosenberg kept the Cyclone to 2 shots. The period ended with 0-0.

In a tough second period, Mark Ingram, Wilmette's goalie, came up with some fantastic saves keeping the Cyclones scoreless. Then, Wilmette started to get more scoring chances. With time running out in the period, Conner Olvany takes a slap shot and it deflects directly to Kyle Brown. Kyle shoots from the right side and the goalie bobbles it. As it squirts out to the left of the crease Charlie Matthews shoots a beauty backhand over the sprawled goalie and Wilmette takes the lead.

In the third period the Cyclones put on a lot of pressure and scored, knotting the game. The Braves hung on to save the tie and remain unbeaten in NIHL play this year.

10/02/01 vs Joliet

The Peewee Gold team met the attack head on from the Joliet Jaguars and the rebounded to win late in the game.

In the first period Joliet put on an aggressive offensive effort and scored twice to lead 2-0. Just a 1:44 in to the second period, Kyle Brown passes to Connor Olvany, who makes a great pass to Noel Gran, Noel shoots from the side of the net over the shoulder of the goalie and scores, starting the comeback.

Five minutes later Wilmette pressure Joliet heavily. Driving up on a two on one Kyle Brown threads the needle with a beautiful pass to Kage Brown. Kage shoots the back hand for the score. Brown from Brown making it 2-2. The second period ended that way.

But Wilmette came out flying for the third period. 1:39 in to the period the Braves put tremendous pressure on the Jaguars. The puck goes in front of the Jaguars net and Matt Giangreco shoots and Noel Gran shoots the rebound and the goalie stops it. With the puck sitting in the crease, Kyle Brown slaps home the puck giving Wilmette the lead for the first time all game. Joliet fought back and scored a power play goal at the 5 minute mark of the period, knotting it 3-3.

With under 2 minutes in the game David Gustman passes to Matt Giangreco streaking wide and deep into the Joliet zone. Matt, in the corner, seeing Kage Brown cutting in front of the net, fires a pass, Kage snaps it past the goalie for the game winner. Great defense by Alex Rosenberg and Ian Proctor helped stop the Jaguars. Wilmette outshot the Jaguars 29-12. The Braves never gave up and came back to be victorious, 4-3.

Sunday 9/30/01 vs Blues

The Braves PeeWee AA team visited the The Edge Sunday night to take on the Blues. The guys were coming off a great effort a week earlier against the Vikings. The first two periods were characterized by lots of chances, no goals. Wilmette got off a flurry of shots in the first period, all of them stopped by the Blues goalie. Mark Ingram, the Braves netminder, was no slouch either, making a nice stop after the puck hit the post on one shot, then making a great save from 2 feet at the 0:52 mark of the first.

Ingram continued to hold the Blues in check as the second period began. He made a great save at 9:55, followed by a double shot block at 8:04. The game remained scoreless despite nice shot efforts from Jimmy Cook on a 3 on 1, Amit Grumet-Morris� high flip past the goal, Kyle Brown�s shot on a great 3 on 2 breakout, and Noel Gran�s fine pass from behind the net which nearly resulted in a score.

The Blues drew first blood, finally, at 7:20 in the third, when Wilmette (and former Blues) defenseman Alex Rosenberg poke-checked the puck away, only to have it rebound to a wide-open Blues player following behind the play, who flipped the puck in the net. But the Braves refused to give up, and suddenly began skating with a sense of urgency. First, the �Rock of Gibraltar� between the pipes, Mark Ingram, made his best save of the game with 2:06 remaining, when he stuffed a Blues winger on an uncontested breakaway. Then, Kyle Brown took a feed from Noel Gran and shot a low-liner right through the legs of the Blues� goalie to tie the score, with 1:51 left. With time winding down, Wilmette did it again, as Noel Gran fed the puck, this time to Matt Giangreco, who also hit a low one through the legs of the Blues goalie, to take the lead for good, at the 0:58 mark.

The Blues pulled their goalie as the seconds ticked down, to no avail. Wilmette won a thriller, and boosted their NIHL record to 2-0-1.

Sunday 9/23/01 vs Vikings

The Gold hosted their nemesis from 2 years ago - the Orland Park Vikings. As usual, the first period was cleanly played - at high velocity and with very few whistles. The Braves tended to control the flow of the play early and got on the board with 0.50 remaining when Kyle Brown picked up a puck off a turnover and passed to Noel Gran lurking nearby, who promptly deposited it in the back of the net. The Vikings counter attacked fiercely, and Goalie Mark Ingram had to make several key saves to preserve the lead. Alex Rosenberg was a tower of strength on defense today - turning in a dominating performance. Immediately after the start of the third period, the Gold scored again when Connor Olvany carried a puck in from the point, faked and rolled his shot up the Vikings' net minder's shoulder and in -- stunning the Vikings. Ten seconds later, a scrum at the net allowed Noel Gran to stuff home a loose puck and give the Gold a 3-0 lead. The Vikings broke the shut-out bid at 6:34 when the Braves defense allowed a Viking player to come in unmolested to the right post, thread the needle and, put his shot high to the near corner. The Braves pressed hard the rest of the way, peppering the Vikings netminder - but to no avail. The Braves walked off the ice reveling in their first career victory over the Vikings as a AA squad. Total shots for the game were Wilmette 23 - Vikings 14.

9/22/01 Wilmette 3 - Chicago Hawks 3

The Gold opened their NIHL campaign with a journey to unfamiliar territory - Bridgeview - a rink few parents could recall visiting before. The event assumed a surreal tone as the preceding practice ran well into overtime and the game got under way 15 minutes late. The tone intensified as the referees put one of the more partisan displays this reporter has seen in years. The game began with both teams skating well and the puck flowing back and forth, end to end, as neither team could gain the upper hand. The referees did their best to help the home team, handing out consecutive penalties on calls that, to be polite, had the Wilmette fans scratching their heads. The Boys in Blue killed both penalties but not without a fatigue penalty that would show later in the game. The game remained scoreless until late in the first period when a Hawks forward came streaking down the left side. Reaching the goal line wide of the net, instead of wrapping around, the Hawk forward launched a shot parallel to the goal line that hit Goalie Mark Ingram's far pad and bounced in at 0:52 remaining. The Braves pressed hard in the second frame, with Jimmy Cook providing the early leadership, first breaking in cleanly only to miss an open corner, and then to bounce a hard shot off the Hawks netminder that Noel Gran tapped home to knot the score at 8:54 remaining. The score remained tied until 1:23 remaining in the second frame when David Gustman skillfully bounced a centering pass off Kage Brown's skate to Kyle Brown who was wide open in the right circle. Kyle one-timed the puck and buried it high in the near corner to put the Braves up 2-1. Early in the third period, the Hawks tied the game again when some loose play on a face-off allowed a Hawks forward to slide into the near slot unmolested. The picture of calm, the Hawk forward lined up his shot and buried it high to the glove side. Wilmette got an opportunity to break the deadlock with a power play opportunity at 7:01 remaining. However, the tables turned when a Hawk forward came streaking up the ice, beat a defender and was able to stuff the puck past Mark for a 3-2 lead with 5:33 remaining in the game. Wilmette pressed hard, out shooting the Hawks by a 50% margin. As the game wound down, the Gold pulled their goalie and a highsticking call on the Hawks gave the Braves a 6-4 advantage. At 0:18 remaining, Wilmette forced a scrum at the net and Kage Brown stuffed home the rebound of a Kyle Brown shot to tie the game and salvage a point in a tough road game. The Braves walked out pleased with their ability to comeback under pressure but painfully aware that they must play mistake-free hockey in order to win in this league. A good beginning to the NIHL season. Total shots for the game were Wilmette 20 - Chicago Hawks 13

Tournament Report

9/14/01 Wilmette 3 - Michigan 3

The Gold started their 2001-02 campaign with a road trip to Holland MI for a tournament. In game one the Michigan Stars jumped out to an early lead when they scored a powerplay goal at 8:17. The Stars continued to press and Goalie Mark Ingram had a busy period, turning away 9 shots. Late in the period the Braves turned the tide, scoring the first 2 of what would be 3 un-answered goals. The first came with 2:42 remaining, when Kyle Brown collected the rebound from Amit Grumet-Morris' shot, skated into the slot and buried his shot past the helpless Stars netminder. Two minutes later, the Braves powerplay connected when Connor Olvany was able to stuff home a loose puck after Amit carried it into the Star's zone. The Braves were unable to connect on a second powerplay opportunity early in the second frame and play continued mostly in the neutral zone with neither squad able to generate much offense. At 4:32, Kage Brown broke loose and connected with a back-hander while sprawling to the ice. Charlie Matthews and David Gustman made the passes that made the play work. At this point, the Stars got frustrated and became more physical, picking up 2 penalties before the end of the period. After the break, the Stars continued their assault, gradually forcing the Braves out of their rhythm. At 9:33 in the third, a Star forward penetrated to the blocker-side post. Mark made the first save but left the rebound free in the crease where a lurking Star tapped it home. The Gold's best chance for some insurance came when Noel Gran sped down the left side on a breakaway, only to be was robbed by an excellent glove save. With 2:41 remaining, sloppy play in the Braves zone gave the Stars a turnover, who promptly forced a scrum at the net. With Mark still entangled with a Star forward, the puck came loose to the point, where a Stars defenseman launched a rocket to high to the back of the net. The game ended with a tie and the Braves came off the ice knowing they had let one get away (not a bad lesson to learn in their first game). Total shots for the game were Stars 18 - Wilmette 11

9/15/01 Coyotes 3 - Wilmette 2

Early the next morning, the Braves took to the ice again to face the Western Michigan Coyotes. Determined not to repeat yesterday's 3rd period performance, the Gold came out flying - outshooting the Coyotes 8-0 in the first period. Unfortunately, an excellent performance by the Coyote goalie turned the Braves away empty handed. Early in the second frame Coyotes gained control of the puck deep in the Wilmette zone. A quick pass across the crease to a charging forward and the Coyotes had a 1-0 lead on just their second shot of the game. Encouraged, the Coyotes pressed harder and only a tremendous diving play from behind by Kyle Brown broke up a 3-0 breakaway. The Braves continued to out-shoot the Coyotes and their efforts paid-off when a pinching Connor Olvany picked up the rebound of Amit Grumet-Morris' shot, and lofted a floater at the net that trickled over the goalie and in to tie the game at 5:15 remaining. However, 2 minutes later, the Coyotes created a screen at the bottom of the left circle and a defenseman sent a laser beam through the forest of legs to put the Coyotes on top again. Early in the third period, Noel Gran carried the puck into the Coyote zone and put the puck on net. The rebound came up the slot and Hunter Gustman picked it up and slammed it home to knot the score again. The fans' hopes were dashed when, less than 25 seconds later, loose play allowed a Coyote forward to circle completely around the net untouched, move to the slot and shoot unmolested through a screen to put the opponents up 3-2. At this point, the Braves lost their focus and were unable to generate much offense - spending much of the remaining time chasing the puck. They were unable to capitalize on a powerplay opportunity and another opportunity slipped away. The Braves walked off the ice frustrated that a tremendous early effort had not resulted in a better looking score board. Total shots for the game were Wilmette 23 - Coyotes 11.

9/15/01 Wilmette 8 - Plymouth Stingrays 1

Recharged by the traditional visit to Craig's Cruisers and some exciting go-kart races, the Braves took to the ice knowing that they needed a victory and some help from other teams if they were to advance. They were also full of adrenalin, having had to dress in a hurry due to a locker-room key snafu. Showing their full offensive potential, the Gold came out flying and proceeded to blow the doors off a slower Stingray team. They wasted no time getting on the board when Kyle Brown and Kage Brown combined to set up David Gustman for a tip-in goal with 10:43 remaining in the first. less than 2 minutes later, Amit Grumit Morris took a pass from Hunter Gustman, broke in on a 2-on-1 play and buried a short shot to put the Braves up 2-0. A minute later, Connor Olvany tapped home a David Gustman rebound and the Braves led 3-0 with 8:15 remaining in the first. The Braves continued to dominate -displaying some really nifty passing - and at 2:35, Kyle Brown scored, capitalizing on passes from Amit and Matt Giangreco. Kyle scored again at 1:25 after a wonderful give & go play with Kage Brown. Amit scored his second goal early in the second period on a bang-bang passing play from Matt Giangreco during the Braves first power play opportunity. Leading 6-0, the Boys in Blue relaxed and put on a terrific passing display. They also killed several penalties successfully. A goalie change by the Stingrays helped slow the onslaught and the Braves did not score again until early in the third period. At 9:55 remaining, Kyle completed his hat-trick, capitalizing on some perfect passing by David Gustman and Kage Brown. Most of the remaining play was in the neutral zone until a turnover behind the Wilmette net allowed a Stingray forward to sneak around the net and stuff one home to break the shutout with 2:47 left in the game. A minute later, the Gustman brothers cashed in on a scoring opportunity, with David taking Hunter's pass and slamming it home for the final 8-1 margin. Total shots for the game were Wilmette 29 - Stingrays 11.

Having shown what they can do when they play to their full potential, a satisfied group of Braves waited to see whether they would get the help they needed from the other teams to allow them to advance. Alas, that help did not materialize and the Braves had to settle for 4th place and an early trip home - but not before a pizza party at the pool and a lot of fun for both players and parents. The trip to Holland provided a good shakedown cruise with valuable lessons learned as well as a lot of fun! It looks like a good season ahead!!