The Sudbury Rockhounds and host Gloucester Griffins were clearly the class of the U13 division at the 2022 Ray Broadworth Memorial B/C/D Tournament last weekend outside of Ottawa.
Unfortunately for the locals, the Griffins were still a notch above, sending the Sudbury lads home with their second silver medal performance in as many months.
Everyone got into the act early as the Rockhounds pounded the Orangeville Northmen 12-1, with Liam Hagen and Koda Peltier showing the way with a hat-trick each and Malik Jakubo adding a pair of tallies.
Levin Blouin, Brayden Wabano, Jackson Mead and Etienne Hutchings rounded out the scoring as the northern squad prepared for a much tougher game against Gloucester.
Pitted against the team they would eventually face in the final, the Rockhounds gave the Griffins all they could handle, dropping a 5-4 decision with the game-winning goal netted with less than ten seconds to play.
Johnny Osawamick scored the first two goals of the game for Sudbury, joined later on the scoresheet by both Levi Blouin and Malik Jakubo.
Saturday action would see the U13 Rockhounds hitting double digits in both of their matches, dumping the Nepean Knights 12-4 and outscoring the Stayner Hitmen 10-1.
Game MVP Malik Jakubo exploded with a five goal performance asthe Rockhounds scored eight times in the second period in silencing the Knights. The remaining goals came courtesy of Jackson Mead (3), Liam Hagen (2), Tucker Johnson and Etienne Hutchings, as goaltender Damien Dell continued to hold the fort.
More multi-goal scorers en mass against Stayner as Mead (4 goals), Jakubo (3), Peltier (2 - MVP) and Huchings power the Rockhounds to another lopsided win.
Trailing just 3-1 in the final entering the third, the Sudbury lads could not hold on as Liam Hagen scored for the locals while William Gouchie and Leo Gerhardt shone in a largely defensive role, throughout the tournament.
On the bench for the U13 Rockhounds are head coach Benoit Douillette, assistants Dan Mead and Steve Gouchie, with Carolyn Hagen tackling the role of team manager.
Also in action at the Broadworth tournament were the Sudbury U9 Rockhounds who returned home with bronze medals according to the Gloucester Lacrosse website.