During the holiday break, the U13 Durham Crusaders LL Blue Team kept active, entering their third tournament of the season - the Clarington Classic John Hogarth Memorial from December 27-28, 2025 at the South Courtice Arena. This tournament, previously run during the March Break with a larger turnout was more limited this time attracting mostly local teams.
Game one was a matchup with the Clarington Thunder Black. A nice, easy 1 pm start would allow Big Blue to wake up and get loose and ready for battle. It was important to set the tone early, and so they did - popping 4 in the first period and controlling much of the play. They were disciplined, stayed out of the box, and were clearly ready to run away with this one. But then the second period hit.
The second period was more back and forth between teams. While Clarington was still scoreless this period, they kept the Crusaders from doing the same. Was it the overconfidence, or did Clarington find another gear? Perhaps a little bit of both, but it was important that Durham made sure that the first period wasn’t a fluke. Bring on the third.
In the third, Durham came back with four more goals, capping the score at 8-0 and a solid first game win. Congratulations goes to Neilson for his first hat-trick!
Game 2 later that day was a matchup with a foe east of the 115. Newcastle was determined to foil the Crusaders' plans, but could do no more than hope. With three goals in the first, one in the second, and three more in the third, 6 different goal scorers ensured a convincing 7-0 win. Despite some aggressive tactics by Newcastle and questionable coaching gestures, Durham held strong, kept their heads, and walked away 2-0 on the day, heading into Game 3 on Sunday.
The third game of the tournament was another Clarington matchup, this time versus Clarington Thunder 1 (Pink). Would they be the same team as the first? Close to it. The Crusaders would control much of this game strolling by to another 7-0 win, 3 and 0 in round robin play and first overall seed, earning a finals spot. They would face off against their first opponent once again. Should be a walk in the park, right?
Sunday afternoon, would mark the third finals berth in as many tournaments with hopes that the Crusaders could finally take home a championship. This Clarington team was far from the same team they saw a day earlier. The Thunder goalie covered the net incredibly well, with very vocal saves and determination to shut the door. The Crusaders first goal game during the first period by Tassone on the powerplay. After relentless attacks on the net, they finally found the Clarington goalie out of position and buried the go-ahead goal heading into the second period. With more back and forth and good battles for the puck, Durham was able to net another, putting Robertson on the scoresheet. Heading into the third period, this game could go either way. If Clarington scored next, it would be a one-goal game, and the lead would be in jeopardy. With a quick break, Boesch was able to beat the d-man and bury his fifth of the tournament. This is where things got messy. With a mix of a few questionable calls (and a few deserving calls) the Crusaders found them down two players killing a five on three penalty kill. They were successful for most of it, but after 10 minutes of penalties, the Crusaders could only hold on so long, with Clarington cutting the lead to 2 with 1:39 left to go. But that was all there would be. After taking numerous whacks and abuse on the puck, with no calls, the Crusaders would hold on for a 3-1 win and their first tournament victory of the year.
Way to go, Crusaders! Finishing off 2025 with style and looking forward to their biggest challenge in a couple of weeks - the International Silver Stick. Bring it on!