Express take top spot in Minor Midget AAA rankings

October 18, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

Fresh off of a London tournament championship, the York Simcoe Express Minor Midgets took over the number-one spot in the third edition of the bi-weekly OMHA rankings.
A regular season record of 7-0-0 helped the Express pass the 6-0-0 Oakville Rangers, who had held onto the top ranking since the first edition came out in preseason.
Their spotless record is complemented by 63 goals for, with only six against, spanning a winning streak total of 19 games.
Flexing their offensive muscle last weekend at the Wendy Dufton tournament in London, four of the top six scorers in the high-profile tournament hailed from York Simcoe, with Quinton Byfield leading the way with 17 points in eight games.
He was joined by Ty Collins (five goals, ten assists), Evan Vierling (five goals, eight assists), and Cameron Butler (six goals, seven assists).
“Our focus from day one was to instill a defensive system that would complement the offensive strengths of the group,” said head coach Mike De Pellegrin. “This tournament was a chance to match up against the province’s best and take our game to the next level.”
Winning all eight of their games against both Canadian and American opponents, the Express picked up shutouts in two of their first three games, sweeping their way to a championship matchup with the North York Rangers.
York Simcoe cruised to a 6 – 1 victory, winning the Wendy Dufton Tournament for the second year in a row.
“This championship was a result of our ability to battle adversity, commit to a ‘team first’ mentality, and focus on the little things away from the puck.”
The Minor Midgets return to the ice on Sunday at LaBrier Arena to host the North Central Predators.