Tigers claim victory in the Battle of Yonge Street

October 26, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

When it comes to minor hockey, Aurora can claim bragging rights over nearby Newmarket as kings of the ice.
The Aurora Minor Hockey Association decisively won the eleventh annual Battle of Yonge Street, a weekend that sees close to fifty Tigers teams battle their Redmen counterparts.
A home-and-home showdown of rep teams took place between the Aurora Community Centre and Magna Centre, with the Tigers coming out on top 25 – 14 with nine ties.
It was a comeback year for the Tigers following a close battle in 2015, when the Redmen earned the victory only after the late Midget games on the Sunday evening.
In 2016, it was a decisive Sunday that led to Aurora’s win, with the Bantam AE, Minor PeeWee A, Atom A, Minor Atom AA, PeeWee AE, Atom RS, Minor Atom AE, Minor PeeWee AE, PeeWee A, Minor Bantam AA, PeeWee AA, Midget AA, Minor Atom A, PeeWee RS, Minor Bantam A, and Minor Midget A all scoring either ties or wins against the Redmen.
Overall, this year’s victory gains the Tigers the lead, with a score of 6 – 5.
Tradition now dictates that the Newmarket Redmen hang an Aurora Tigers jersey in the head office until next year.
“The association that wins the series is given the honour of having their jersey showcased in the opposing association’s hockey office for the duration of the season,” said Joe Bentolila, AMHA President. “No extra motivation is needed beyond this.”
While the battles on ice were of great importance, the money raised in the stands played a significant role, as it does with the AMHA in the home-and-home series each year.
With a variety of vendors in the lobbies, as well as raffle tickets being sold, the AMHA took the York Region Foster Parents Association as the charity of choice this year.