Essex Red Raiders double up on championships

The Essex District High School girls hockey team won the A/AA title Tuesday afternoon in Tecumseh beating L'Essor 1-0. Ada St. Louis scored the lone goal of the game on a great play by Lily Seal. Grace Ondracka earned the shutout between the pipes. "We are so proud of the girls effort," Coach Deb McAiney told Powerplay Sports. “Every game has been a battle and they constantly rose up to the challenge."

Essex wins second straight title

Both teams came into the final having not lost a regular season game. Les Aigles finished first overall with an 8-0-2 record while Essex was second, one point behind, with a 7-0-3 slate. Through 13 games this season, regular season and playoffs, the Red Raiders have only allowed five goals.

"This team is tight knit group who love to play for each other. They show that true Raider Grit"

Essex will play for the SWOSSA championship Monday in Essex at 1:30.

On the boys side Braeden Cavanaugh and Cade Smith scored goals 27 seconds apart in the second period to take control of the Cullen Conference hockey championship Tuesday afternoon at the Atlas Tube Centre against Belle River. The Red Raiders beat the Nobles 3-1 to advance to the SWOSSA championship Thursday on the road.

"The chemistry on that line was undeniable, with Caleb Cavanaugh netting the winning goal assisted by Cade and Braeden," said head coach John Forbes. "They told me they they could feel the chemistry before the game even started."

Austyn Wills, from behind the net, dished a great pass in the slot to Alexander Bially who broke the shutout for Red Raiders' goalie Reed VanderVecht's midway through the third.

"It was an exciting game watching these two rivals go at it." Forbes said.

Check out the celebration started by VanderVecht in the following link. https://fb.watch/x_8p0Y5zMG/