Squirts: On Saturday, December 24, the Squirts defeated Plymouth 7-0 in an early morning game in Bourne. Brayden Cannon opened the scoring on a feed from Patrick Tripp midway through the first period. Josh Gifford, Ben Hebbel, Liz Kilpatrick (2), Patrick Duggan and Tommy Clavell all had goals in the win. The defense set up the scoring with assists from John Goll (3), Mike Brown (2), Tripp and Bree Killion. In net, Ryan Killion stopped all 12 shots he faced.
On Monday, December 26, the Squirts packed up and headed south to Bridgeport, CT to play in the Doritos Holiday Bash. The team opened with a tough 3-1 loss to the Wonderland Wizards. Hebbel had the lone goal on a solo effort. In net, R. Killion stopped 26 of 29 shots. However, the team bounced back on Monday night with a 9-0 win over the Stamford Sharks. Hebbel, Cannon, Brayden Hathon, and Clavell each had two goals and Tripp added one. R. Killion stopped all eight shots in net.
On Tuesday morning, on little sleep, the Gladiators faced off against the host Bridgeport Doritos and skated to a 7-7 tie. After falling behind early in the first 3-0, the Gladiators fought back with a Clavell goal from close range and a B. Killion goal from the point to end the first period down 3-2. The Doritos extended their lead early in the second to 5-2, but again the Gladiators fought back with a pair of Hebbel goals and a Hathon rocket to end the second tied 5-5. The Doritos regained the lead with two early goals in the third, but the Gladiators stayed tough and pulled off a late game comeback with a goal from Clavell to get within one. As the final minutes wound down, the Gladiators pulled R. Killion for an extra skater, Patrick Tripp, who ended up being the difference maker. With one minute left, Tripp buried a shot from the top of the circle to tie the game at 7-7.
The Squirts finished the tournament in third place while having a great few days in Connecticut.
On Saturday, December 31, the Squirts returned to action in the Yankee Conference with a 3-3 tie against WHK. In net, Nate Wilson was stellar, stopping 19 of 22 shots. On offense, Tripp got the Gladiators going early with a goal. Hebbel fought through defenders for an end-to-end unassisted goal midway through the first and then repeated the effort late in the second to contribute two goals.
Pee Wees: Gateway Gladiators Pee Wees started the New Year off right against the Coastal Stars on Sunday.
In the first period, Ty Rebeiro put the team up early with an unassisted goal and was followed by another goal, this time by Joe Urnek with an assist by Connor MacLeod. Rebeiro then scored his second of the period, assisted by Urnek, and Thomas Leger made it 4-0 Gateway with an unassisted goal. In the second period, Rebeiro completed an early hat trick with an assist by Urnek, and then added a fourth tally, assisted by Lucas DeMoranville. In the final frame, Rebeiro scored his fifth goal on the night with an assist by Leger, ending the game with a 7-2 Gateway win.