The Flamborough Sabres U12 AA hockey team is looking to score some new head ware in the coming weeks.
The Sabres, led by head coach Josh Cassan, are on their way to the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) championship tournament, known as the Red Hats – an impressive feat for a team that only started playing together this season.
“At the beginning of the year, we had six different communities come together,” Cassan said. “We had kids from all over, and at the start of the season we set out our goal at a team part to make it to the Red Hats, so this is a major box checked for us.”
Between seasons, players from Dundas, Flamborough, Cambridge and Burlington came together to play for the Sabres as their local clubs shut down. That meant a group of kids who may have previously played against one another were now expected to make passes and connect with those who they were battling in the crease with last year.
It seems to have paid off, as the Sabres have a 35-15-10 record going into the Red Hats. The team may also face Milton in the tournament, the very team that knocked them out of the league championship last week.
“It’s an opportunity to show everyone what you can do again,” Cassan said. “The puck doesn’t always bounce your way. But we’ve just got to motivate them and let them go play hockey.”
The players themselves know that they have a chance to go for the title.
“It’s exciting; there are eight teams and we have a shot at being first place,” Raymond Kunihiro, left wing for the Sabres, said. “It’ll be exciting to play with the boys and see how far we can go.”
Kunihiro got into hockey after his parents took him to a public skate when he was four years old.
Several of the players on the U12 AA team had similar stories, and said they do their best to emulate their favourite players – an overwhelming majority mentioned Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews – when they’re on the ice.
“I definitely think there’s a possibility of us going to the finals,” Jonah Pereira, right wing, said. “It’s about whether or not we can play our best games.”
If the Sabres manage to win the title, they'll be able to proudly display the victory in their arena for years to come.
“I’m looking forward to winning some Red Hats, bringing them home, and hanging a championship banner in our arena,” defenceman Louis Scharringa said.
The OMHA championship tournament kicks off on Friday in Oakville. Coach Cassan knows his players only need to play their game and come prepared.
He also already knows what he’ll tell the players in the room beforehand.
“Take a deep breath, relax, and have fun,” Cassan said.
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