Day one of the Alliance tournament has come to a close. For the many teams taking part, the Titans tournament is the unofficial start to the season. While it can be a good measuring stick, it should be mentioned that the performance of a team at an early September tournament doesn’t act as a precursor for their season.

I’ll always look back to the 2000 Waterloo Wolves who went 1-3 at the Titans tournament and scored just four goals in those four games. Those Wolves went on to win the Alliance championship and have a solid showing at the OHL Cup.

On day one, it was a light day for the Alliance. Just two teams in action with mixed results.

Hamilton Huskies fall 3-1 to the Barrie Jr. Colts

Hamilton opened their tournament against the Barrie Jr. Colts. Barrie, who struggled last season in the ETA loop, got a first look at 04 born goaltender Riley George who got the start in the opener. From all accounts, George played fairly well in goal, allowing two goals in the second period. Noah Baltzer tallied the lone Huskies goal with just under five minutes remaining to pull within one but it just wasn’t enough. Hamilton looks to rebound on Wednesday against the high-powered Toronto Young Nationals.

Kitchener Jr. Rangers continue to roll with 2-1 win over Oshawa.

The other Alliance matchup saw another ETA opponent as the Oshawa Jr. Generals took on Kitchener. Kitchener was coming off a 3-0 exhibition weekend at the end of August with two wins over the Buffalo Regals and a thrilling win over Guelph. Kitchener was able to defeat Oshawa with some of their depth scoring as Reilly McMahon and Matt Sop were responsible for the goals. Dawson Rowe got the call in goal and was strong allowing the lone Jr. Generals goal with 93 seconds to play. Kitchener returns to the ice on Thursday as they take on the Halton Hurricanes with a chance to start the tournament 2-0.

Check back for results from Wednesday’s action. It’s a light evening as only the Hamilton Huskies take the ice.