Saints repeat as finalists in MacPherson tournament

February 1, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

It was a repeat performance in St. Andrew’s College’s premiere hockey tournament.
For the second year in a row, the Saints varsity squad met the Northwood School Huskies in the championship game of the MacPherson tournament, held at St. Andrew’s annually since 1984.
Scoring a total of 23 goals in their first four contests, a tournament high, the Saints were held to just one goal in a 6 – 1 loss to Northwood at La Brier Arena on Sunday.
Mathew MacDougall had the only goal for the Saints late in the second period.
Four unanswered goals by the Huskies in the third period were the Saints eventual undoing.
“It was a disappointing end to a fantastic weekend for our school community,” said David Manning, head coach. “Northwood is an outstanding team and a worthy winner this time around. As always, we will push our players to pick themselves up and look to get better this week in preparation for Upper Canada College on Wednesday.”
One of the top prep hockey programs in the country, the Saints have not disappointed this season in the independent CISAA league. They bring a record of 7-0-1 into their matchup with Upper Canada.
For the MacPherson, Sunday’s championship game marked the eighth straight year that the Saints program has won either gold, silver, or bronze in their home tournament.
In its 34-year history, St. Andrew’s has won the tournament a record nine times, last raising the trophy in 2014.
“As a coach, player, and avid fan, I always look forward to watching the fast-paced and competitive games in this tournament,” said Kevin McHenry, Headmaster.
The Saints opened the tournament on a tear, outscoring both Appleby College and the Under-18 Elite Pittsburgh Penguins by a combined score of 20 – 1. They were brought down to earth by Edge School on Saturday afternoon, shut out 2 – 0, before earning a berth in the final by besting Upper Canada College 3 – 1.
The tradition of naming a tournament All-Star team had two Saints land on the roster, in junior Cam Hillis and senior Morgan Baron. Hillis was named an all-star forward, while Baron, team captain, earned the Robin Fraser plaque for sportsmanship.
Drawing from over a dozen countries throughout its history, this year’s incarnation of the MacPherson tournament hosted teams from Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Maine, Pennsylvania, and New York.