The Esso Atlantic Major Bantam Cup started with 24 teams from NS, NB and PEI vying for a championship title.  The intense week of play in the most highly regarded Bantam tournament in Eastern Canada began Wednesday with quailification games.

Your Hurricanes began their qualification play on Thursday with a match up with the Truro Bearcats.  A strong effort from all generated  a 5 - 0 win over the Bearcats and got the Hurricanes going towards their goal.  Only 3 hours later, your Hurricanes had to face the   powerful Saint John Seadogs.  Even with a slow start, Hurricane players showed why they hold first place in the NSMBHL by coming out with a hard fought 4 - 3 win.  With two wins under their belt after day one; Friday brought the very solid Bay Gulls as their opponent, a match up that later determined first overall.  The game had playoff intensity and a good crowd were very interested in watching the battle of two good hockey clubs.  When the dust settled, a 2 - 2 tie remained.  Incredible second and third periods by your Hurricanes along with quality scoring chances still could not settle the tie.  Game # 4 on Saturday morning had the squad facing the Miramichi Rivermen in a game that needed to be won handily to ensure a top seeding heading into the quarterfinals.  That is exactly what the team did in a 7 - 0 commanding win.

Early Saturday afternoon, all qualification play was completed by all 24 teams.  The results of those games sent 16 teams home and only 8 teams qualified for Saturday night's quaterfinal match ups.  Your Hurricanes were seeded 4th overall with a qualification round record of 3 wins and a tie, only one goal away from taking the first overall seed.  In their quaterfinal match up they faced the Pictou County Crushers.  Your Hurricanes came out flying from the get go and played solid on every inch of the ice on route to a 4 - 2 win and a berth in the Final Four semi-final Sunday morning. 

With only four teams remaining, the semi final match up had the very good Halifax Hawks as our opponent.  Your Hurricanes out-shot and out-chanced the Hawks, but it was not to be as the Hawks managed to put the 2 -1 game away with an empty netter in the last 30 seconds to get the 3 -1 win.

After the game, head coach Muise commented " ... we played a solid game, we deserved better in many ways, we won so many battles out there on the ice, just unfortunate that the scoreboard tells a different story.  We just couldn't bury the multiple chances we had this morning.  The puck pursuit and the pressure we put on them was constant.  The whole coaching staff are very pleased with the play of our squad today and all week, we were solid on both sides of the puck and we are very proud of the statement our players made this week.  It was a really good week of hockey along with the display of the great character in our dressing room from every single player.  My assistant coaches and training staff did an excellent job during this long, intense week of hockey preparing our players to compete."

Regular season play resumes this coming weekend in the NSMBHL when your BMO Western Hurricanes host two home games in Barrington against the Pictou County Crushers.  Saturday, December 3rd at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 4th at 12:00 noon.  Come out and support your first place Hurricanes in fast paced NSMBHL action.


GO HURRICANES !!!!