Braves News

99 Braves cap brilliant season with OHF Championship

2012-04-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

The 99 Peewee Braves celebrate their OHF Championship overtime victory versus the Centre Wellington Fusion.

Having defeated the Markham Islanders eight points to two in playoff finals competition, the 99 Peewee Braves captured the GTHL City Champions for the second straight season, then headed to Sudbury for the 2012 OHF Championships, held April 13-15.

Having gone a perfect 5-0 in round-robin action, the Braves met-up with the Centre Wellington Fusion in the finals, where it took 1 hour and 27 minutes of high-intensity hockey before Devlin Shanahan found the back of the net with 3:01 left in the third overtime period, capping off a dream season for the Peewee Mississauga Braves as they were crowned Ontario Hockey Federation Champions.

All in all the Peewee Braves experienced a highly successful season going 83-2-6, capturing the GTHL Kraft Cup and City Championship as well as the International Silver Stick. "This season required a full effort on the part of every player on this team and we got just that.", said Head Coach Dwain Ervin.

2011-2012 99 PEEWEE BRAVES ROSTER

29 Nicolas Humeniuk-Chelak, 30 Jake McGrath, 2 Dylan Frendo, 4 Matthew Perrotta, 5 Ben Cirpovski, 6 Nicholas Arts, 13 Noah Froud, 14 Devlin Shanahan, 15 Jason Silva, 19 Jacob Ervin, 22 Jackson Oswald, 24 Matthew Wilkins, 61 Jacob Rayner, 87 Brooke Bonsteel, 88 Drake LaFontaine, 91 Daryl Watts

HC: Dwain Ervin, AC: Jim Bonsteel, AC: Asst Coach Brian Shanahan, TR: Scott Rayner, MG: Joe Perrotta

99 Peewee Braves repeat GTHL Champs headed to OHF Championships

2012-04-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

The 99 Peewee Braves celebrate their GTHL Championship victory versus the Markham Islanders.

Having defeated the Markham Islanders eight points to two in playoff finals competition, the 99 Peewee Braves were crowned GTHL City Champions for the second straight season, qualifying them to compete in the OHF Championships to be held April 13-15 in Sudbury, Ontario.

The playoffs victory capped off an exceptional regular season which saw the 99 Peewee Braves finish in first place with an impressive 34 wins, 0 losses and 2 ties and a league-leading 0.9082 goals-for average, having scored 178 times, and allowing just 18 goals against in 36 games.

In yet another season highlight, the 99 Peewee Braves captured the International Silver Stick Championship with a 2-0 win over the Michigan Nationals. The Braves won 6 straight games to capture the title, outscoring the opposition 31-2 in the process.

2011-2012 99 PEEWEE BRAVES ROSTER

29 Nicolas Humeniuk-Chelak, 30 Jake McGrath, 2 Dylan Frendo, 4 Matthew Perrotta, 5 Ben Cirpovski, 6 Nicholas Arts, 13 Noah Froud, 14 Devlin Shanahan, 15 Jason Silva, 19 Jacob Ervin, 22 Jackson Oswald, 24 Matthew Wilkins, 61 Jacob Rayner, 87 Brooke Bonsteel, 88 Drake LaFontaine, 91 Daryl Watts

HC: Dwain Ervin, AC: Jim Bonsteel, AC: Asst Coach Brian Shanahan, TR: Scott Rayner, MG: Joe Perrotta

U21AAA Braves to compete for OHF Championships

2012-04-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

In the midst of a highly-successful season, the 2011-2012 U21AAA Braves take a break to pose for their team picture during the Association's annual photo day.

As GTHL Scotiabank Playoff finalists, the U21AAA Braves have qualified to compete in the 2012 OHF Championships, April 13-15 at Scarborough Gardens Arena, facing the 2012 GTHL Champion Humberview Huskies, tournament host GTHL Toronto East Enders and OMHA representatives Ajax Knights and Stoufffville Clippers.

The OHF Championships represent the final opportunity for the Braves to best the venerable Humberview Huskies who captured the GTHL Championship eight points to four in a hard fought, six-game series, having earlier posted a championship game victory versus the Braves at the 2012 Silver Stick Tournament, held January 5-8 in Mooretown, Ontario.

Comprised of 1991 to 1995 birth-year players, the Braves handed the Huskies their only regular season loss during the final game of the 2011-2012 campaign, resulting in a record of 29 Wins, 5 losses and 2 ties and a second place finish just two points ahead of Toronto East Enders.

2011-2012 U21AAA MISSISSAUGA BRAVES ROSTER

Gryphon Bell, James Bon, Eric Di Carlo, Mathieu Domengoni, Tyler Hicks, Ross Hnilica, Joey Lemos, Yoshan Manamperi, Parsa Monsef, Craig McDowell, Brett Nicholson, Stefan Pietrobono, Jack Pirie, Alex Richardson, Matt Sheffield, Brad Sheppard, Chris Slauenwhite, Ryan Smith, Adam Stewart, Drake Tideman, Matt Ylkos

HC: Terry Richardson, AC: Grayden Reid, AC: Glen Priseman, TR: Julie Walsh, MG: Harry Tideman

99 Peewee Braves take Gold at Silver Stick

2012-01-29T13:02:00.000-08:00

The 99 Peewee Braves celebrate their championship victory at the 2012 International Silver Stick Tournament in Port Huron, Michigan.

The 2011-2012 Peewee Braves captured the International Silver Stick Championship with a 2-0 win over the Michigan Nationals. The Braves won 6 straight games to capture the title, outscoring the opposition 31-2 in the process.

The team booked their ticket to Port Huron after winning the recent Silver Stick Qualifier, having outscored the competition 27-2 and winning five straight games, including a 6-1 championship victory over the Caledon Hawks.

2011-2012 99 PEEWEE BRAVES ROSTER

29 Nicolas Humeniuk-Chelak, 30 Jake McGrath, 2 Dylan Frendo, 4 Matthew Perrotta, 5 Ben Cirpovski, 6 Nicholas Arts, 13 Noah Froud, 14 Devlin Shanahan, 15 Jason Silva, 19 Jacob Ervin, 22 Jackson Oswald, 24 Matthew Wilkins, 61 Jacob Rayner, 87 Brooke Bonsteel, 88 Drake LaFontaine, 91 Daryl Watts

HC: Dwain Ervin, AC Jim Bonsteel, AC: Asst Coach Brian Shanahan, TR: Scott Rayner,
MG: Joe Perrotta

01 Atom Braves tame the Big Bear

2011-11-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

The 01 Atom Braves are shown above celebrating their championship victory at the Big Bear Tournament in Dearborn, Michigan.

The Atom AA Mississauga Braves won the Big Bear Tournament in Dearborn, Michigan over the Nov 11-13, 2011 weekend.

The tournament started off very well with a hard fought 1-0 win for the Braves over the Northern Express from Chicago. The Braves outshot the Express by a 15-7 margin with the only goal of the game coming midway through the first period. The Braves were able to kill off a last minute penalty to seal the game and the shutout.

The second round robin game on Saturday morning was penalty filled contest against the Trenton Timberwolves with a total of 12 minor penalties going to both teams. The Detroit based team jumped out to a quick 1-0 midway through the first period with a power play goal. The Braves did not give up and managed to tie the game early in the second period with their own power play goal. The Braves kept the momentum going and scored another power play goal before the end of the second period, going ahead 2-1. The third period saw the Braves kill 3 minor penalties and score their 3rd power play goal of the game. The Braves came out on top with a 3-1 win even though they were outshot 17-12 by Trenton.

The Braves drew the USA Patriots for their third and final round robin game. The Braves came out skating and determined to clinch the top ranking going into the final on Sunday. They played to a convincing 9-1 win with the only goal against coming in the final minute of the game.

The win put the Braves into the top spot in the standings and set up a rematch between the Trenton Timberwolves for the Championship.

The early Sunday Morning final was a back and forth affair that saw the game being tied on 3 different occasions. The Braves jumped out to an early 1-0 lead early in the first, only to be tied up by Trenton midway through the first. The Braves were determined to set the pace and regained the lead 59 seconds later. Trenton would not back down and countered with their game tying goal just under 4 minutes left in the first. The Braves scored 2 goals within 43 seconds before the end of the second to pull ahead 4-2 at the break. The tenacious Trenton team would not go away without a fight and were able to score 2 in the third period with the tying goal coming with just over 1 minute remaining in the game. The game was tied at the end of regulation.

The first sudden death overtime period was a 3 minute 4on4 that saw some quality chances and excellent goal tending by both teams. After the 3 minutes, the teams were still tied.

The final sudden death overtime period consisted of another 3 minutes, 3on3 action. Again, both teams did not give in and skated to the end of the period still tied, thus sending the Championship to a best of 5 shootout.

The Shootout saw the Braves choose to shoot first. After the first round, the Braves were up 1-0. Both teams missed on their 2nd opportunity, but both scored on the third chance. The fourth round of shooters saw the Braves take a 3-1 lead, Trenton had to score to stay in the game. The Trenton team failed in their attempt and the Braves clinched the Championship.

This is the first tournament win the for the Braves who are off to Sudbury in December to try to repeat as Silver Stick Regional Champs.

01 ATOM BRAVES TEAMMATES
#2 Tyler Wilson, #3 Jason White, #4 Julian Macerola, #5 Julian Rossi, #7 Zac Gardiner, #8 Adam Tucci, #9 Christian Cummins, #10 Conrad Erasmus, #16 Jordan Fielding, #19 Braden Lynch, #21 Tyler Digos, #27 Cole Feilders, #88 Jacob Pollard, #91 Jake Defrias, #30 Zac DeMelo and Tournament MVP, #33 Alyssa Raitano

Gord Murphy named 2011 OHF Volunteer of the Year

2011-11-16T08:45:00.000-08:00

Mississauga Braves Hockey Association CEO and General Manager Gord Murphy proudly displays his 2011 Ontario Hockey Federation Volunteer of the Year Award.

Mississauga Braves Hockey Association CEO and General Manager Gord Murphy was recently awarded the 2011 Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) Volunteer of the Year Award, an honour bestowed annually to an individual who displays outstanding commitment and significant contribution to the hockey community within the OHF.

For over 60 years "Murph" has been involved in all manner of minor hockey from player, to manager, to coach, to club owner, to Association CEO and everything in-between — dedicating thousands upon thousands of hours to the benefit of parents, coaches, volunteers and players past, present and yet to come.

99 Braves thrive on tournament competition

2011-10-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

The 99 Peewee Braves are shown here celebrating their Mississauga Early Bird Championship, having just previously won the Richmond Hill Stars Early Bird, and prior to their Championship victory at the Georgetown Best of the Best Tournament, held Thanksgiving Weekend.

The Mississauga Braves Peewee's have launched into the 2011-2012 season with an impressive three tournament championships including the Richmond Hill Early Bird, Mississauga Early Bird, and, most recently, the Georgetown Best of the Best.

With stiff competition throughout the Peewee AA age group the "99 Braves" required unwavering competitive spirit and highly-disciplined played to capture hardware at all three tourneys.

In Richmond Hill, the Braves went 2/1/0 in round robin competition before eliminating the host team 2-1 in the semi-final and then battling to a 1-0 shootout win against the venerable Humberview Huskies.

The Mississauga Early Bird saw the 99 Braves go 3/0/0 in the round robin followed by a 5-2 semi-final win verses the Mississauga Terriers and a decisive 4-0 Championship victory over the Plymouth Stingrays.

On Thanksgiving Monday, the Richmond Hill Stars were given the opportunity to redeem their prior semi-final tournament loss verses the Braves as both teams went undefeated heading into the Georgetown Best of the Best Championship. In yet another close match, the Braves came out ahead 3-2, capturing their third straight tournament championship.

The Peewee Braves are the defending GTHL Champions for the 99 AA age group, having captured the 2010-2011 crown over the regular season champion Humberview Huskies.

2011-2012 PEEWEE BRAVES ROSTER

29 Nicolas Humeniuk-Chelak, 30 Jake McGrath, 2 Dylan Frendo, 4 Matthew Perrotta, 5 Ben Cirpovski, 6 Nicholas Arts, 13 Noah Froud, 14 Devlin Shanahan, 15 Jason Silva, 19 Jacob Ervin, 22 Jackson Oswald, 24 Matthew Wilkins, 61 Jacob Rayner, 87 Brooke Bonsteel, 88 Drake LaFontaine, 91 Daryl Watts

HC: Dwain Ervin, AC Jim Bonsteel, AC: Asst Coach Brian Shanahan, TR: Scott Rayner, MG: Joe Perrotta

Brave young lady rides again for mom lost to cancer

2011-07-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

Shayla Kellie remains brave, strong, proud and determined to honour her late mom, while doing her part in support of efforts to conquer cancer.

Having completed her 3rd consecutive Ride to Conquer Cancer in June, Shayla will be riding again in 2012 — please consider supporting Shayla's journey.

Shayla Kellie recently completed her 3rd consecutive 210 kilometre Ride to Conquer Cancer in honour of her late mother, and will ride again in June 2012. Sadly, Shayla's mom Theresa, lost her battle to cancer in August 2010, and so was unable to join her loving daughter at the 2011 finish line as she had in 2009 and 2010. Shayla is the step-daughter of Braves' Director April Kellie and step granddaughter of CEO & GM Gord Murphy — two of her proudest supporters.

In Shayla's Words
Not a day goes by I don't think of her and cry in missing her, laugh in her memory, and then cry again. My mom fought the hardest fight imaginable for a year and 10 months, and never once did I hear her complain. With her strength as my inspiration and her memory riding on my shoulders, I am going to push through this epic ride, and help in getting us one step closer to finding a cure. My mom climbed mountains, beat odds that blew the minds of her oncologists, and took on all of the challenges thrown at her with a smile on her face, never losing her crazy sense of humour. I want to ride each kilometre for those currently fighting this deadly disease, and in memory of my mom, my aunts, and all of the loved ones in my life, who have had to deal with the pain of losing someone so close. I can remember peddling my way up the Ancaster Hill last year - and losing all momentum, when I then realized that my sweat is nothing compared to their tears, and I need to push my way through this. Thinking about the fight my mom endured inspires me to move mountains, and that is what I plan to do. Mom was at the finish line waiting for me, both years, and the hardest part about finishing this liberating ride, is going to be not seeing her smile and running into her open arms offering an amazing hug of congratulations. She wont be at the finish line this year, but her memory will be carried with me from Toronto to Niagara Falls. I am asking you for a small donation from $1 - whatever you'd like to donate. To participate in this ride I have to raise at least $2500. it sounds like a lot, but my goal is to raise as much as the willing are willing to donate to an amazing cause. We are all touched somehow by cancer, and unfortunately we have all lost someone close to us.

If you would care to SUPPORT SHAYLA for her 2012 ride, please visit her personal page by CLICKING HERE.

"I thank you all so much in advance for your generosity, and I promise your money
will be put to great use. I will ride my butt off, and together we can all help in
finding a cure." — Shayla Kellie

96 Braves Capture Third OHF Provincials

2011-04-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Mississauga bantam AA Braves celebrate their victory over the Aurora Tigers to win the OHF championship.

The Mississauga Braves capped off a superb season when they laid claim to the provincial bantam AA hockey championship over the weekend in Woodstock.

By defeating the Aurora Tigers 2-1 in the final, the Braves claimed their third Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) title under head coach Roger Bourbonnais.
Mississauga went up 2-0 on goals by Ryan Garvey and Marco Violo before Aurora answered with just 1:42 left in the second period. From there, it was white knuckle time.

Unbeaten throughout the Greater Toronto Hockey League and OHF playoffs, the Braves prevailed despite having three goals called back in the final. Meanwhile, they fired upwards of 40 shots at Aurora goalie Ryan Manson.
“You know, whenever you can win it when your heart is racing, it makes it that much better,” Bourbonnais said afterward.

The Braves tied Aurora 3-3 in the opening game of the round-robin before beating Timmins 5-1, blanking Woodstock 8-0 and whitewashing Kitchener 7-0. They destroyed Timmins 12-2 in the semi-final.

This marks a sweet exit for Bourbonnais, who coached most of the players on the team for a full decade, dating back to the Port Credit paperweight program. He’s stepping down, and the bulk of team is moving on as well.

He said it was an “incredible” way to go out.

“It’s the conclusion of a great 10-year experience — wonderful kids, great parents,” he said.

96 BANTAM PROVINCIAL CHAMPION TEAMMATES
Team members include Matthew Mustard, Scotty Nicholls, Kevin Bray, Luke Ewach, Jeremy Hildred, Callan Beggs, Devin Bourbonnais, Mike Crews, Kevin Mellegers, Mack Derraugh, Vince DeSousa, Ryan Resendes, Stefano Modugno, Matthew Menecola, Matthew Pogue, and Alysia DaSilva.

The staff was rounded out by assistant coaches Andrew Mustard, and Bruce Derraugh, trainer John Pogue, and manager Andy Mellegers.

by Mike Beggs, The Mississauga News

Minor Peewee Braves GTHL Champions

2011-04-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

The Mississauga minor peewee AA Braves celebrate their victory over the Markham Islanders to win the Greater Toronto Hockey League championship.

The minor peewee AA Braves blanked the Markham Islanders 1-0 at the Mastercard Centre in Toronto to complete the sweep in their first-to-eight-points championship series.

Jake Ervin scored the game-winning goal in the minor peewee Braves' final game while goalies Nicholas Humeniuk-Chelak and Will Jelinek combined for three shutouts and allowed only two goals against in the series.

"This victory is a reflection of the hard work and commitment by the players and coaching staff all season long," said head coach Dwain Ervin.

The minor peewee squad, which posted a 30-3-3 regular-season record, defeated the Toronto IceDogs to open the playoffs and followed with wins against the Mississauga Jets and Humberview Huskies.

99 MINOR PEEWEE BRAVES TEAMMATES

Team members are Nicholas Humeniuk-Chelak, Will Jelinek, Jake Ervin, Dylan Frendo, Matthew Perrotta, Ben Ciprovski, Alexander Russo, Mackenzie Rock, Devlin Shanahan, Jason Silva, Jackson Oswald, Matthew Wilkins, Noah Froud, Jacob Rayner, Brooke Bonsteel, Drake LaFontaine, head coach Dwain Ervin, assistant coaches Jim Bonsteel, Brian Shanahan and Frank Russo, trainer Scott Rayner and manager Joe Perrotta.

From the article by Iain Colpitts, The Mississauga News
Read story online HERE

96 Bantam Braves capture Kraft Cup

2011-02-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

The 96 Bantam Braves proudly display their Kraft Cup trophies as GTHL Bantam AA West Division regular season Champions. Inset, the team captains pose along side GTHL President John Gardner and Gord Murphy, CEO and General Manager of the Mississauga Braves Hockey Association.

With an outstanding regular season record of 31W / 3T /2L with 175 goals for and just 33 goals against, the 96 Bantam Braves bested the 2nd place Mississauga North Stars by 10 points and captured the Kraft Cup as GTHL Bantam AA West Division regular season Champions.

96 BANTAM BRAVES TEAMMATES

Goalies: #13 Alysia Dasilva, #29 Matthew Pogue

#2 Matthew Menecola, #4 Mike Crews, #6 Callan Beggs, #7 Luke Ewach, #11 Vincent De Sousa, #14 Kevin Bray, #17 Marco Violo, #51 Kevin Mellegers, #55 Ryan Resendes, #77 Mack Derraugh, #87 Devin Bourbonnais, #90 Scotty Nicholls, #93 Ryan Garvey, #91 Jeremy Hildred, #97 Matthew Mustard, #98 Stefano Modugno

COACHING STAFF

HC: Roger Bourbonnais, AC: John Pogue, AC: Bruce Derraugh, TR: Andrew Mustard, MG: Andy Mellegers

99 Peewees Repeat Champs at Richard Bell Tourney

2011-01-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

The 99 Minor Peewee Braves celebrate victory at the 2010 Richard Bell Memorial Tournament, held in Oakville over the Christmas holidays.

The Minor Peewee Braves successfully defended their Championship title at this year's Richard Bell Memorial Tournament in Oakville during the Christmas holidays. Backed by solid goaltending, the team's stifling team defence and solid offensive attack enabled the Braves to generate an impressive 6-0 record in tournament play, ultimately re-capturing their title by defeating the host Oakville Rangers 2-0 in the final.

01 Minor Atom Braves Silver Stick Bound

2010-12-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

The 01 Minor Atom Braves celebrate victory at the 2010 Sudbury Silver Stick Regional Tournament.

The Minor Atom AA Mississauga Braves won the Silver Stick Regional tournament held in Sudbury over the Dec 10-12 weekend. They will be heading to Newmarket, Ontario for the Silver Stick Invitational tournament in mid January where they will meet other Regional winners from Ontario and the US.

The weekend started off slow on Friday morning with a loss to the Jr. Greyhounds from Sault Ste. Marie by a score of 4-3. The Braves were out shot by a 18-9 margin however, the Braves capitalized on some quality scoring chances are were able to put 3 in the net. The Braves were playing “catch-up” for the entire game as the Greyhounds came out fast and scored a goal only 9 seconds into the game. The braves gave a good effort only to come up short.

The second game on Friday afternoon had the host Sudbury Bulldogs up against the Braves. The Braves scored the games first goal late in the second
period and it stayed 1-0 until there was 1:51 left in the game when the Bulldogs pulled even. Never settling for a tie, the Braves scored with 54 seconds left in the game and were able to hold on for the 2-1 victory.

Going into the third and final round robin game, the Braves needed a victory against the Copper Cliff Redmen to advance to the Semi finals. The Braves were up to the challenge scoring a convincing 4-1 victory. The game was close until the Braves scored early in the third period to increase their lead to a 3-1 margin. The Braves then shut down the Redmen for the rest of the final period only surrendering 1 shot and added a last second goal.

The Braves were through to the Semi-finals with a 2-1 record, second place in the A division behind the 3-0 Sault Jr. Greyhounds. The Semi-finals also included the North Bay Trappers (2-1, 1st place in the B division) and the Valley East Rebels (2-1, 2nd place in the B division). This meant that Braves were to face the North Bay Trappers, while the Greyhounds were to play the Valley East team.

In the first semi-final, the Braves fell behind 1-0 when the Trappers scored with just under 2 minutes left in the first. Not letting the goal get them down, the Braves were able to even the score before the end of the period with a goal with 19 seconds remaining. The game was a back and forth style with both goalies playing exceptionally well. The two evenly matched teams played with hard and aggressive for the remainder of the game when the Braves scored a clutch goal with 5 seconds remaining in the third to advance to the Finals.

Meanwhile the Jr. Greyhounds from Sault Ste. Marie had little problem with the Valley East team, winning 6-0 and advancing to the Final in a re-match of the teams first game.

The final took place on a Snowy Sunday afternoon with both teams coming out skating hard. The Braves broke the scoreless drought with a late first period goal to go up 1-0. Both teams got into penalty trouble in the 2nd period (7 minor penalties in total) which resulted in a 2 man advantage for the Greyhounds for 3:23. The Braves were able to kill off the 2 man advantage with exceptional goaltending and aggressive penalty killing. The momentum was definitely in the Braves favor as the second period ended. They were able to score 2 goals within 11 seconds, the second goal being scored with less than a second left in the period, to build a 3-0 lead heading into the final period. The Greyhounds came out firing and took “it” to the Braves. The Braves countered their attacks with aggressive fore-checking, efficient back-checking, disciplined defense and timely goaltending. The Greyhounds finally broke the shut-out with 1:59 remaining in the game. They immediately pulled their goalie in an attempt to solve the Braves defensive game plan, only to have the Braves seal the game with an empty net goal with 53 seconds left. The final score was 4-1 for the Braves.

The tournament was truly a team effort as 6 different players scored goals and had amazing goaltending from both goalies.

This is the second tournament win for the Minor Atom AA Braves this season as they also won the 3 Rivers Cup in Pittsburgh, Pa over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend.

2010-2011 Minor Atom Braves Teammates:
#2 Tyler Wilson, #3 Jason White, #4 Paul Rinaldi, #7 Austin D’Orazio, #8 Adam Tucci, #9 Dylan Wyslobocki, #16 Jake Defrias, #19 Braden Lynch, #20 James Goumas, #21 Tyler Digos, #30 Zachary DeMelo, #33 Alyssa Raitano, #65 Conrad Erasmus, #71 Julian Rossi, #87 Cole Fielders and #88 Justin Couto.

98 Peewee Braves take Canadian Cup

2010-12-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

The 98 Peewee Braves celebrate victory at the 2010 Canadian Cup Tournament of Champions.

The 98 Peewee Braves travelled to Montreal December 3 - 5, only to return home as Champions of the Canadian Cup Tournament.

96 Braves Golden at Stoney Creek

2010-12-18T12:41:00.000-08:00

The 96 Bantam Braves celebrate victory at the 2010 Stoney Creek Tournament of Champions.

Following their Terry Terrier Championship in October, the 96 Bantam Braves stuck gold again in November, going undefeated at the Stoney Creek Tournament of Champions, outscoring the competition 31 to 4 and recording four shutouts along the way. In the championship game, the Markham Islanders provided stiff competition before falling to the Braves 4 to 3.

Mississauga Braves 3 vrs Ancaster Avalanche 1
Mississauga Braves 9 vrs Copper Cliff Redmen 0
Mississauga Braves 5 vrs Wheatfield Blades 0
Mississauga Braves 7 vrs St. Catharines Jr. Falcons 0
Mississauga Braves 3 vrs Stoney Creek Jr. Warriors 0

Championship Game
Mississauga Braves 4 vrs Markham Islanders 3

96 Braves win Terry Terrier Tournament

2010-10-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Bantam Braves celebrate their hard-fought Championship victory at the 2010 Terry Terrier Tournament.

It was an all-Mississauga final as the Braves nipped the Terriers 4-3 in triple overtime. Kevin Mellegers scored the winning goal with the teams reduced to playing two-on-two hockey in an effort to break the deadlock.

The Terriers led the contest 3-1 with just over 2 minutes remaining when Kevin Bray scored for the Braves to make it 3-2. Jeremy Hildred scored for the Braves to knot the score at 3-3 with just 1:12 left in regulation time.

“The lesson that our kids learned today was that they had to play as a team, they had to persevere and they had to remember the game isn’t up until the last buzzer goes,” said Braves head coach Roger Bourbonnais. “We didn’t quit.

The Braves won all 4 rould robin Games by an impressive goal for against ration of 16GF and 1GA. Congratulations to the players for their strong efforts, the coaches for their encouragement and the support from parents and friends.

Midget Braves capture the cup at Mississauga Early Bird

2010-09-28T06:09:00.000-07:00

The Midget Braves celebrate their early-season success at the Mississauga Early Bird Tournament.

The Midget Braves battled back from a two goal deficit, topping the Ottawa Valley Aces 3-2 to win their round-robin division and advance to play-off competition at the Mississauga Early Bird. Semi-final action saw the Braves beat GTHL East Division rivals Goulding Park Rangers 2-0 before heading to the championship final verses the Mississauga North Stars, where intense play and close competition resulted in a 2-2 tie after regulation. In overtime, the winning goal was scored by Shane D. on a shot taken from his knees in front of the Stars goalie.

The highly-competitive Midget Division featured 16 teams from across Ontario. The Midget Braves went five for five including round-robin and play-off games, outscoring the competition 15 to 5.

Congratulations to the players for their strong efforts, the coaches for their encouragement and the support from parents and friends.

Minor Peewees take Vaughan Rangers Early Bird

2010-09-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Minor Peewee Braves are all smiles as they celebrate their early-season success at the Vaughan Rangers Early Bird Tournament.

The Minor Peewee Braves battled through a weekend of highly-competitive hockey to bring home the Championship Trophy from the Vaughan Rangers Early Bird. The Braves captured the title in exciting fashion, winning the Semi Final game in overtime over the Ice Dogs before defeating the Vaughan Panthers in a shootout to decide the Championship. Jake Ervin took home the team tournament MVP while the goaltending tandem of Will Jelinek and Nick Humeniuk-Chelak both put in strong performances backstopping the team to victory. Congrats to the players, coaches and parents for a successful, fun-filled weekend.

Parent Banquet set for Friday, October 22

2010-09-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

Following an awesome buffet dinner and hockey talk, attendees let their hair down and enjoy a little revelry amongst friends at the annual Braves Parent Banquet.

The Annual Mississauga Braves Parent Banquet is a great night out where hundreds of team parents and friends gather to enjoy dinner, DJ dancing and conversation.
This year's event will once again be held at Le Treport where our guests are always treated to an awesome buffet dinner and outstanding hospitality.

BRAVES PARENT BANQUET
Friday October 22, 2010
6:00PM
Le Treport Convention Centre
1075 Queensway East, Mississauga,On L4Y4C1

Dress Code: Semi Formal

09/10 Minor Atoms GTHL City Champs

2010-04-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

The 2009-2010 Minor Atom Braves cap off an amazing season by celebrating their GTHL City Championship.

The Best From the West Win GTHL AA Championship
With two tournament championships, only two losses in the regular season, 17 shutout wins and not a single loss in the playoffs, this year’s Mississauga Minor Atom AA Braves are being referred to as the best Minor Atom Mississauga Braves team EVER. This team showed exceptional skill and depth all year and many nights put on a real show to the delight of the fans. After being crowned the Kraft Cup Champions for winning the West AA Division, these hard working athletes went on to defeat the Toronto Royals in 3 straight, they beat the Mississauga North Stars in the West Semis and then the Humber Valley Sharks in the West Final allowing each team only a single point in each series. The GTHL City Finals would prove to be a very exciting match up against the East Enders Ticats. Although they beat the Ticats in 4 games straight, the Ticats certainly put up a real battle in each of the games. Game 4 was no exception. Defenseman #4 Aidan Merulla would score first for the Braves but the Ticats fought back to tie the game. The winning goal would come from another defenseman #3 Christian Ialeggio with a shot from the point. Although the Ticats pressed hard in the third, the Braves would hold on to take the victory 2-1 and capture the title on their home ice at The Hershey’s Centre in Mississauga. Playoff MVP’s for the Braves were goalie #29 Harper Stone and forward #8 Andrew Menecola. Congratulations to the players, coaches and parents if this year’s Minor Atom Braves.

2009- 2010 Mississauga Minor Atom Braves AA: # 3 Christian Ialeggio, #4 Aidan Merulla, #7 Jeremy Henderson, #8 Andrew Menecola, #9 Joseph Rupoli, #10 Kyle Hanford, #13 Jacob King, #19 Steven Giansante, #23 Jamie Sparkes, #26 Mitchell LeLiever, #27 David Pontoni, #29 Harper Stone, #33 Zion Miceli, #34 Matteo Ferrari, #44 Lucas Amoroso and #93 Luke Beamish.

Coaching Staff: Head Coach John Ialeggio, Asst. Coaches Steve Richard and Garey Wilson, Trainer Keith Henderson and Manager John Menecola.

GTHL CITY CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Mississauga Braves 3 • East Enders Ticats 2
East Enders Ticats 1• Mississauga Braves 3
Mississauga Braves 2 • East Enders Ticats 0
East Enders Ticats 1 • Mississauga Braves 2

U21 AAA Braves OHF Provincial Champions

2010-04-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Mississauga Braves U21AAA hockey team celebrate their OHF Provincial Championship.

The Mississauga Braves U21 AAA journey to the top began in April when the team selected 9 new players from various teams to compliment the ten returning players. Under the guidance of Coaches Joe Zavaglia, Paul Iamundo and Vernon Gallant, the Mississauga Braves U21 AAA steadily progressed and stayed in the fight for the 2010 Kraft Cup. The turning point of the season came in Sarnia where the team travelled to defend its International Silver Stick. Although, the team was unsuccessful in defending its championship, they developed a camaraderie that could not be broken and a commitment to each other for the remainder of the season. The team was fighting an uphill battle all season with many obstacles to overcome throughout the season, but after losing the first game when they returned from Sarnia, the team came together. This group of young men buckled down and went on a 12 game winning streak to end the regular season and a tie for first place with the Leaside Kings in the highly competitive U21 AAA division. The two teams played an exciting one game playoff to see who would emerge as the Kraft Cup Champion. After falling behind 2-0, the tenacious Braves would not be denied. They began firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the game and came out on top 7-4.

The Braves finished as regular season champions with a record of
28-7-2 for 58 points and the Kraft Cup.

The Braves entered the playoffs on a high and a Quarter Final match up with the Goulding Park Rangers. The Braves continued their fine play and went on to win the series 4-0. The Semi Final was against the rival Mississauga Hornets. The Braves hard work and defensive play led to a sweep in 4 games. During the Hornet series a number of players were lost to the Braves for the City Final against the Vaughan Rangers due to injuries and suspensions. The Braves had one call up during the Hornets series, but were in need of a few more. That is where 2 more Midget Jr. call ups stepped in to fill the roster. Being only 16 years old, they were a little reluctant to participate at first, but once they played a few games, they realized they were part of the team and could contribute. Their fine play along with rest of the regular players led to a 4-1 series win in the City Final.

That series victory came with an invitation to the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) Championship.

The Mississauga Braves (GTHL Champions) entered the OHF Championship as one of the favorites, along with defending OHF Champion Ajax Knights. (OMHA Champions). In the first game, the schedule had the Braves facing off against the Ajax Knights. The teams played to a 2-2 tie. In the second game the Braves played the host East Ender Ticats, a team that had given them trouble all season. The game ended 3-3. With a little something to prove the following day, the Braves came out and defeated the Vaughan Rangers 7-0 and the Peterborough Nationals 6-1 to obtain first place in the round robin and a game against the East Ender Ticats in the Semi Final. The Semi Final was a tight checking affair with great goaltending at both ends. The only goal of the game was scored shorthanded mid way through the third period. That was all the Braves would need in a 1-0 victory and date with the defending champion Ajax Knights. In the Final, both team started the championship game tentatively with no one wanting to make a mistake. Ajax opened the scoring shorthanded with a quick shot from the faceoff circle. The first period ended Ajax Knights 1- Mississauga Braves 0. The Braves came out flying in the second period and tied the score within 2 minutes and followed that up with 3 more goals in the next 5 minutes. Ajax drew to within 1 goal by the end of the second period. The third period had the Ajax Knights throwing everything they had at the Braves. The Braves were hanging on, but a goal midway through the third period gave them some breathing room. Ajax was not about to give up their championship that easy and scored another goal with under 2 minutes to play to bring the score to 5-3. Trying to get back in the game and doing everything possible, Ajax pulled their goaltender and with under a minute to go the Braves scored an empty net goal to seal victory 6-3.

For 6 of the players this marks the end to their minor hockey careers. It was a fitting end for a group of young men who should be proud of themselves for their actions on and off the ice. Great way to finish your minor hockey career!

Congratulations to all the coaches and the young men who are the Mississauga Braves U21 AAA team and thanks to the parents for your support.

Mississauga Braves U21 AAA:

Head Coach: Joe Zavaglia, Assistant Coach: Paul Iamundo, Trainer: Vernon Gallant, Manager: Linda Davies

Defence:
Claudio Savone, Jamie Cormier, Brady Hartwick, Kyle Cecchetto, Sean Willock, Alex Davies, Michael Proszek

Forwards:
Michael Ross, Julian Ilardo, Daniel Clarke, Anthony Levstik, Greg Butt, Paul Zavaglia, Chris Ofield, Jeff Gallant Jordan Hearne, Daniel D’Alleva,

Goalies:
Matthew D’Amario, Chris Stellato

Special Thanks to the Midget Jr. Players for their help:
Jack Pirie, Zachary Millington-Schiller, Brett Nesbitt, Joey O’Brien

94 Braves Three-peat Regular Season and West Champions

2010-03-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Mississauga Braves Minor Midget Hockey Team celebrate their Kraft Cup Championship on their way to capturing the GTHL West Division Title.

For the third consecutive season the 94 Mississauga Braves have captured the Kraft Cup regular season Championship and GTHL West Division Playoff Title.

Lead by two time Mississauga Braves Association Coach-of-the-Year Gary Camilleri, the 94 Braves came into the 2009-2010 campaign with high expectations, having captured the 2009 OHF Provinical Bantam AA Championship the season prior. The 09/10 squad comprises nine new players
that have proven hard work, dedication, team play and discipline remain key ingredients to the 94 Braves success. The team captured the Kraft Cup regular season Championship with a record of 31W • 1L• 4T on their way to the west play-off title scoring an impressive record of 10W • 0L • 1T, outscoring their rivals 35 to 9.

2009-2010 Minor Midget Mississauga Braves Roster

Goaltenders
#33 Patrick Maziarz, #40 Adam Stewart

Players
#3 James Dehaas, #5 Ryan Rubino, #8 Kurt Wolff, #9 Michael Tatangelo, #10 Nicholas Cascioli, #11Thomas Skrlj, #12 Brayden Pardy, #14 Seamus Shanahan
#19 Justin Di Tommaso, #44 Dillon Constant, #77 Bobby LaPlante, #83 Daniel Minna, #88 Matt McGrath, #91Tyler Camilleri, #94 Patrick Mooney, #96 Tyler Culbertson

Staff
HC: Gary Camilleri, TR: Andy Dehass, MG: Ed Skrlj, AC: Kevin LaPlante

09/10 U21 AAA Braves Kraft Cup Champs

2010-03-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

The 2009-2010 Mississauga Braves U21 AAA Hockey Team celebrate their Kraft Cup Championship having captured fist place in regular season action.

The Mississauga Braves U21 AAA Hockey Team captured the Kraft Cup with a record of 28W • 7L • 2T for 58 points in a highly competitive 14 team division which ended with a spread of just six points in top five stands; Leaside Kings at 56 points, Vaughan Rangers at 55 and Mississauga Hornets at 53 and Humberview Huskies at 52 points.

The Kraft Cup Championship also qualifies the U21 Braves for competition at the OHF Provincial Championships.

2009-2010 U21 AAA Mississauga Braves Roster

Goaltenders
Matthew D'Amario, Christopher Stellato

Players
Gregory Butt, Daniel Clarke, Jamie Cormier, Daniel D'Alleva, Alex Davies, Jeff Gallant, Paul Gismondi, Brady Hartwick, Jordan Hearne, Julian Ilardo, Anthony Levstik, Chris Ofield, Michael Proszek, Michael Ross, Tyler Saik, Claudio Savone, Tyler Serio, Sean Willock, Paul Zavaglia
Staff
HC: Joe Zavaglia, TR: Vernon Gallant, MG: Paul Iamundo, AMG: Linda Davies

09/10 Minor Atoms West Division Champs

2010-03-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

The Mississauga Braves Minor Atom Hockey Team celebrate their Kraft Cup Championship on their way to capturing the GTHL West Division title.

The 09/10 Minor Atom Mississauga Braves have captured the GTHL West Division Playoff Championship and will face the East Ender Ticats for the GTHL City Championship series.

This achievement marks yet another high point in what is proving to be a very successful season. After winning two previous tournaments and reaching the finals in the regional Silver Stick, the 00 Braves (born in 2000) captured the Kraft Cup as
regular season champions with an impressive record of 32W • 2L• 2T and an amazing 203 goals for and just 24 goals against .

00 Minor Atom Braves 2009-2010 Roster
3 Christian Ialeggio, #4 Aidan Merulla, #7 Jeremy Henderson, #8 Andrew Menecola, #9 Joseph Rupoli, #10 kyle Hanford, #13 Jacob King, #19 Steven Giansante, #23 Jamie Sparkes, #26 Mitchell LeLiever, #27 David Pontoni, #34 Matteo Ferrari, #44 Lucas Amoroso, #93 Luke Beamish, Goalies- #29 Harper Stone and #33 Zion Miceli, Head Coach- John Ialeggio, Asst. Coaches- Steve Richard and Garey Wilson, Trainer- Keith Henderson and Team Manager- John Menecola.

93 Midget Braves Vic Teal Tourney Champs

2010-01-04T11:24:00.000-08:00

The 93 Mississauga Braves Midget Hockey Team celebrate their Championship at the Vic Teal International Tournament.

The Mississauga Braves Midgets are the Champions of the 2009 Vic Teal International Tournament held in St. Catharines over the Christmas holidays.
They recorded 6 wins and no losses with 26 goals for and 4 goals against. Three of the games were shutouts. The players worked hard during all games with the following results:

Braves 9 vs St. Catharines 0
Braves 4 vs Stoney Creek 0
Braves 3 vs Oshawa 1
Braves 3 vs Streetsville 1

Semi-final
Braves 3 vs Fort Erie 2

Championship
Braves 4 and Stoney Creek 0

The most exciting game was the semi-final in which the Braves scored in the first, then Fort Erie tied it up in the second and got the go ahead goal in the third. With 38 seconds remaining in the third, the Braves gave it their all to tie the game forcing play in a five minute overtime period. The Braves scored with 43 seconds remaining in the overtime and held on to win the game and go on to the finals which they won in convincing fashion. Congratulations to Connor on three shutouts (9-0, 4-0, 4-0).

Teammates
Back row: Shane Dumoulin, Christiaan Collarile, Brett Nesbitt, Michael Orzel, Brennan Low, Zach Millington Schiller, Tanner Lee, Sam Ellison, Ryan Messere
Front row: Prateek Jhingan, Cole Castellarin, James Wolfenden, Jack Pirie
Goalies: Joey O’Brien, Connor Moreby
(absent: Robert Miszczuk, Michael Scott, Jeff Walker)

Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Ted Nesbitt
Assistant Coaches: Brad Pirie, Claude Dumoulin (and trainer)
Manager: Jacquie Miszczuk