2015/16 Minor Midget Record: 18-13-2 (5th Place)
2015/16 Minor Midget Final Result: Lost in 3 to Kitchener in Quarter-Finals
2015/16 Major Bantam Record: 8-16-6 (8th Place)
2015/16 Major Bantam Final Result: Lost in 2 to Brantford in Preliminary Round
After a year where injuries and off ice difficulties proved too much to overcome, the new incarnation of the Huron-Perth Lakers will hope success is on the menu this season.
The 2015/16 season for the Minor Midget Lakers could not have started any better. They were undefeated going into the Showcase tournament and continued to impress during the tournament. They were on top of the standings until injuries to top forwards Owen Gilhula and Brady Hinz halted their momentum. A coaching change late in the season didn’t help things and with Gilhula still out of action, the Lakers were swept by Kitchener in the quarter-finals. If healthy for the season, the Lakers were a legitimate contender to win the Alliance.
At the bantam age last season, the Lakers struggled offensively, scoring less than two goals a game on average. Even with the likes of Tyson Koopman and Josh Zelek up front, the Lakers could never quite break out of their shell. On the defensive side, the Lakers were a league average club. Strong play in net by Zach Hall helped out along with having Maxim Mulder on the blue line.
Coming into this new season, Huron-Perth is banking on a couple of things. Firstly, they are hoping that another year of play under the belt of their forwards helps create more scoring chances. Both Zelek and Koopman are back along with a couple of new forwards from outside organizations. The loss of Jake Weston will hurt on the blue line, but the addition of Michael Metzinger from the Guelph Gryphon circuit should solidify a few things on the back end.
While I don’t necessarily believe the Lakers can duplicate the start they had last season, I also didn’t envision that team having such a good start so anything can happen. The new faces brought to the club will go a long way to determine the success brought to the Stratford area.
2016/17 Huron Perth Lakers Roster:
Michael Metzinger
Zach Hall
Reid Ramseyer
Mason Goldie
Tyson Koopman
Bradley Koopman
Kyle Stanbury
Matthew Diebolt
Reid Campbell
Parker Miller
Connor Otto
Griffin St. Onge
Maxim Mulder
Connor Arnold
Charlie Rankin
Ryan Murray
Josh Zelek
