Norfolk Knights U10A Capture October Storm Classic Title

Team effort and resilience carry Knights to championship in Tillsonburg

The Norfolk Knights U10A proved that perseverance and teamwork can overcome any start, battling back from an early loss to capture the October Storm Classic championship in Tillsonburg last weekend.

After dropping their opening game 3–2 to the South Oxford Storm, the Knights regrouped and found their stride — rolling through the rest of the tournament with five straight wins, capped off by a commanding 7–1 victory over South Oxford in Sunday’s championship final.

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The weekend began with a tough, evenly matched opener against the Storm, where the Knights showed flashes of what was to come but couldn’t quite close it out. Instead of letting the loss linger, the team used it as fuel.

By Game 2, Norfolk started clicking on all cylinders, edging the Glancaster Bombers 5–4 in a back-and-forth battle before blanking the St. Marys Rock 5–0 to close out round-robin play on a high note.

From there, the Knights looked every bit like a championship team. They defeated the Delhi-Norwich 59ers 7–0 in the quarterfinals and followed it up with another victory over Glancaster, this time 5–3 in the semifinals, to punch their ticket to the gold-medal game.

In a rematch against South Oxford, the Knights delivered their most complete performance of the season. Norfolk took control early, scoring four unanswered goals in the first period to set the tone. They didn’t stop there — adding two more short-handed tallies in the second frame to extend the lead to 6–0.

By the time the final period began, the Knights had full command of the game. South Oxford managed to break the shutout midway through the third, but Norfolk quickly responded to seal the 7–1 win and the tournament championship.

It was a textbook display of team hockey — smart decisions in their own end, relentless forechecking, and unselfish play across all lines. Every player contributed to the success, from strong defensive zone coverage to timely scoring and goaltending that held steady all weekend.

While there were plenty of highlight-reel moments, this championship belonged to the group as a whole. Coaches credited the team’s composure after the early loss and their ability to trust one another as the tournament progressed.

From Friday’s lessons to Sunday’s triumph, the Norfolk Knights showed what can happen when a team comes together with purpose — playing for each other and representing their community with pride.

Congratulations to the players, coaches, and families on a well-earned championship weekend in Tillsonburg.