Barrie's Dustin Leigh goes in for a tight shot on the Mississauga Tomahawks during Saturday's game at the Holly Community Centre. Barrie won its season and home opener 6-5.
	Sharon Bamford - Photo

There were assorted gaffes with the sound system, which caused CDs to switch on at inopportune times, and not to switch on when folks needed to hear the national anthem.

And coach Dave Ree’s team, rife with rookies, was a bit rattled by the pressure of the first league game, a state of unease that gave itself away a number of times in the first period, before the troops rallied to nose out the visiting Mississauga Tomahawks 6-5.

 “I just told them to relax, to stop squeezing the sticks so much,” a relieved Ree told the Advance after the game, describing an opening period that saw the Tomahawks step off the floor with a 5-2 lead and threaten to run his charges off their own floor.

“I also told them to put more pressure on the ball.”

A wild opening frame started with a power-play goal from Barrie’s Sean Leaver in the first minute, but that advantage was quickly erased when Jordan Pavic, Colin Skyvington, Dylan Johnson and John Ferchat beat Tornado goaltender Andrew Ball to stake Mississauga to a 4-1 lead.

Andrew’s brother Daniel got the Tornado to within two with the man advantage, but the clamour had barely died down before Shane Hollock restored the Tomahawks’ three-goal bulge only five seconds later.

There was no shortage of power-play chances in that opening period for the Tornado, but Mississauga goaltender Gavin Lecky stood tall against all efforts, including a two-on-zero rush late in the first.  

Ree also admitted it was something of a risk subjecting so many first-year players to the rigours of competition so early.

 “Our stamina is not where we want it to be yet,” he said.  “It’s a big transition for some of these guys from midget, and there’s a learning curve for all of us.”

Ree also said the last two periods saw a defensive change which enabled his troops to shut the Tomahawks down, going from a “wall” style defence to man-to-man.

The defensive shift worked perfectly, as goaltender Ball, who looked so shaky in the first, settled down and held off Mississauga’s scoring power for the rest of the night. Slowly, Ball’s mates got back into things, as Dustin Leigh scored twice in the second period to pull his team to within one, Daniel Ball notched the equalizer late in the third, then Matt Parsons beat Lecky with the game winner, just more than two minutes from the final buzzer.

 “It took a lot of heart,” Ree said of his team’s effort. “They were threatening to knock us all over the floor, but we got up, kept running, and stayed strong defensively.”

The Holly Community Centre, located at 171 Mapleton Drive, was packed, sitting and standing room, as the club hopes it will be all summer. Next action for the Barrie Tornado is Wednesday at 8 p.m., at home to the Markham Ironheads.

Tornado Jr. B Win Home Opener 6-5
April 27, 2008

Right from the opening face-off, it was evident that neither Barrie, nor Mississauga would be taking this game lightly.  Both teams saw a player go to the penalty box at the opening buzzer.  The young Tornado team played a relatively disciplined game with 18 minutes in penalties against the 30 minutes that the Mississauga Tomahawks took.

A slow start for the Tornado saw them down 5-2 against Mississauga after the first period of play in their new home at the Holly Community Centre last night..  The next two periods were scoreless for Mississauga, as the Tornado battled to regain control of the game in front of over 250 cheering fans.  Barrie scored two more goals in the second period, closing the gap on the scoreboard.  The winning goal was scored with just over two minutes remaining in the game.

Daniel Ball and Dustin Leigh had 2 goals and 1 assist each, singles from Sean Leaver (and 1 assist) and Matt Parsons and assists from Cory Kloepfer and Justin Kloepfer, Brandon Ree and Zach Tomkinson.

Congratulations to the three "Frisbee Toss" winners who were awarded tickets to this afternoon's  Toronto Rock Game facing the Philadelphia Wings in honour of  Jim Veltman's Retirement.

The "Warrior" Player of the Game awards went to Dustin Leigh of Barrie and Shane Scott of Mississauga.

The Tornado face The Markham Ironheads on Wednesday, April 30th at the Holy Community Centre.  Game time is 8:00 PM.

Season opener Saturday for Junior B Tornado
Glenn Wilkins
April 24, 3008

Call the Barrie Tornado a team in transition – literally.

Barrie Tornado Junior B Lacrosse team head coach Dave Ree runs some hopeful through their paces at the Holly Recreation Centre Tuesday night. The team’s first game is this Saturday.
	Sharon Bamford - Photo

And as the days wind down to where head coach Dave Ree has to get around to making the final cuts to begin the 2008 Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior B season, the first game is almost a side issue.

Ree spoke to The Advance Tuesday night at the new Holly Community Centre, before taking more than two-dozen hopefuls through one of their final pre-season workouts, and discussed what he wants in his young charges.

“We’ve got a big ‘D’ (defensive players), but we want to see an offence built for speed, given that those players are smaller. They have to run the transition well,” once the defence gets possession of the ball, Ree explained.

“They’ve got to be quick.”

And as soon as the forwards move into the offensive zone, Ree looks for “screens rather than picks,” adding that players who set up picks “tend to stay there too long.” The object of the game becomes keeping feet, and the ball, moving.

Tuesday’s drill featured a lot of time running the transition game, with goaltenders flipping long lead passes to players emerging from the bench at the beginning of a shift.  

Ree still had a few cuts to make to the roster in time for Saturday night’s season opener at Holly against the Mississauga Tomahawks. The roster will consist of 18 position players and two goalkeepers.

The coach looks for leadership from returnees such as Stevie Holder, a prolific point getter, as well as Austin Nieuwdorp and Graham Schappers. He’s also impressed by what he’s seen from up-and-comers such as Michael Mawdsley and Garrett Smith. Indications are that sophomore Andrew Ball has the inside track on the starting goaltending assignment.

Three other netminders are after his job.

Coach Ree also looks for a tussle from the Tomahawks, a “fast, strong” team known to eat opponents alive who execute bad transitions. That’s why Tuesday’s transition drills were so important.

Also on hand for the final drills were local lacrosse godfather Mike Kloepfer, general manager of the Senior A Lakeshores, taking in what he says is a “great atmosphere” created by the new home of Canada’s national summer sport in Barrie.

“This is a beautiful place,” Kloepfer exults. “We were understandably upset that they’ll soon be tearing down (our old home at) the Dunlop Arena, but it’s great to have lacrosse all in one place, where the kids, junior and senior teams can practice and play all in one facility.

“We’re used to having up to 300-400 fans for Tornado and Lakeshores lacrosse on some nights, and I can see the fans enjoying the atmosphere in here. It’s a terrific floor, the seats are great, there’s an air-conditioned lobby for the fans, it’s comfortable. There are no real negatives here.”

Kloepfer was more than just a casual observer; his son Cory is returning to the game after a bout of mononucleosis, and dad is pleased with his progress so far.

“Cory has worked pretty hard to get ready. He can take part in the cardio workouts, but can’t do contact yet. He had an ultrasound the other day on his spleen and liver.”

Kloepfer says he’s also cheered at the tradition teams like the Tornado and Lakeshores are fostering here in Barrie.

“There are kids I remember as ball boys eight and nine years ago who are out there on the floor trying out,” he said.

Game time is 7 p.m. Saturday between the Junior B Tornado and the Mississauga Tomahawks, at Holly Community Centre, 171 Mapleton Avenue. For more information, check the website.

Tornado coach whipped up; New Barrie GM/coach Ree hopes to make them all believers

Posted By IAN SHANTZ
April 18, 2008

Dave Ree brings a philosophical, yet practical approach into his foray as general manager and head coach of the Barrie Jr. 'B' Tornado.

After guiding Barrie intermediate teams to titles the past two seasons, the first-year coach hopes his strategy pays off at a higher level.

"You need to have a firm hand on the bench," last season's Ontario Lacrosse Association Level 4 coach of the year said. "But the kids have to know that you believe in them, so that you can push them, and they'll push for you.

"Just care. Take the time to care, and you'll get those results."

A combined tryout for the Tornado and Jr. 'A' Rama Kings wrapped up last week at the Holly Community Centre - the Tornado's new home - paving the way for Barrie's season-opener, slated for April 26 at Holly against the Mississauga Tomahawks.

With the season looming, first on Ree's to-do list is to instill confidence and purpose within his players.

"There's gonna be tough games, there's gonna be easy games," Ree said. "But in the end, you still have to look at every night and say, 'what could we have done better.' And that's the way these guys have to take care of themselves.

"We've got a really good mix (of talent), but it's about getting the combination of all of them to buy in."

Ree isn't the only new member to join the Tornado in its quest for a Founders Cup, a national title that Barrie claimed in 2003. Former Tornado Kenny Hamilton joins the team as an assistant, and will run the team's offense, while assistant Dale Ball will guide the team's defense.

And then there are the players.

"We're down to 24 in Jr. 'A', and 25 in Jr. 'B'," Ree said earlier this week. "We'll whittle it down to 20, and then there'll be cuts at Jr. 'A', and the bumping process continues."

There is plenty of movement among players in junior lacrosse, as many jump between levels throughout the season. But there is a steady mix of returnees and rookies who the head coach said are set to sign, and, hopefully, deliver.

Returning players include captain Daniel Ball, Ricky Acorn, who led the Tornado with 42 goals last season, and Steve Holder. Garrett Smith and Michael Mawdsley are midget-aged players who could make an impact for the Tornado this season, while Paul Clancy and Zach Tomkinson, a No. 2 pick in last June's junior draft, are expected to emerge as stars.

Jake Lovell, who split last season playing intermediate and Jr. 'A' in Orillia, and Andrew Ball, who played intermediate and Jr. 'B', are expected to battle for the starter's role between the pipes.

Lovell is known for his positional play, while Ball is more of a reactionary goalie. Both should feed off one another's play, the coach said.

"They both bring different elements to the game," Ree said. "With them both being young, they're both capable of starting, and it should be great to see."

Working with what's a relatively young lineup, Ree expects there will be some headaches along the way.

But he's also thrilled by the play of his younger players so far.

"We're really happy with what we've seen from our midget influx," he said. "They're good enough to play, and you don't see that very often, where they can crack the lineup. They were that good."

Ree doesn't consider himself to be an "Xs and Os coach," but he has mapped out a master plan for his players to utilize on the floor.

"It's not a big team, so they have to (run a) full-motion offense," the coach said. "There's going to be a lot of screens, rather than picks. We're going to be a transitional team. I also like to run a pressure ... with lots of discipline and hard work."

While Ree said it's too early to know what to expect in terms of competition coming out of other Ontario Junior 'B' Lacrosse Association centres, he does expect the perennial heavyweight Clarington Green Gaels to be among the teams to beat, and thinks Mississauga could boast some firepower, as well.

Ree said his Eastern Conference squad is in the middle of a rebuilding mode, but he believes it can improve on last year's record of 11-9. And the future only looks brighter thanks to a strong support network in place within Barrie's lacrosse community. "I'm extremely excited," he said. "We've got Brad MacArthur running the bantam and midget programs, and I can't see a better way to feed our system then to have Brad, who has just come out of the National Lacrosse League and has coached Jr. 'A' for several years. That's really going to fuel everything."

The Tornado are equally excited to get the ball rolling on a new season.

"They're jacked and they're pumped and they're ready to go," Ree said.

For more information on the Tornado, visit www.tornadolacrosse.com. Contact the writer at ishantz@thebarrieexaminer.com

Article ID# 991428

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Barrie Advance
Colleen Winter
April 16, 2008

Affiliated lacrosse teams the OLA Junior A Rama Kings and the Junior B Barrie Tornado held four combined tryout sessions last week at the Holly Community Centre, culminating in the traditional Blue and White game on Sunday at the last tryout.  

Seventy-six players came out to try their chances at what is described as the “fastest game on two feet,” and the Blue and White game provides a legitimate exhibition game with referees, where the players can showcase their abilities.

“They’ll be fighting for positions,” said the Tornado’s new head coach Dave Rees. “Some players wait until the end to show what they can do.”

This is the first time Rees has coached at the junior level, but not the first time he’s coached the game.  

Most recently, he coached the Barrie Intermediates to an Ontario B Championship two years ago and an Ontario A Championship last year.  He’s also the referee-in-chief for the league and a member of the executive.

When he found out last November that he would be coaching the Tornado, he started planning.  

“We’re putting a different offence in place,” he said. “It will be a faster, full-motion offence.”

What he saw at the tryouts is working into his plan.

“I’ve seen some new faces and some fresh, young legs. They need some skills and technique, but they have more energy,” he said, adding that as a coach, he likes to work off energy. To make sure the team keeps up its energy, he’s bringing in trainer Laurie Stevenson to work with the players.

“They need to be in top physical condition,” he said.

He also says he and assistant coach Kenny Hamilton work as a team and feed off each other’s passion.  

Hamilton played Junior B up until five years ago and brings a player’s perspective to the coaching team.  

“I can understand it from both sides,” he said.  “Some things may not work, but I know we’ll find a way to make it work.”

He’ll be responsible for the offence and echoes Rees approach, though was unwilling to give away any details.  

“We want to keep the ball moving fast and not hold on too long.  We want to get it into the middle and keep it in constant motion,” Hamilton said.

What he saw at the tryouts were smart players who, because it’s the start of the season, hadn’t picked up a stick in a while.  

“They’re a bit rusty,” he said.  “But I can work with that.”

The team can have up to 23 players on its roster, though Hamilton expects it to be around 18-20.

The last time the Tornado won a Founders Cup (the National Championship) was in 2003, after only three years in the OLA Junior B loop.  

They fell short in the semifinals in 2006 and this year Rees expects them to be at the mid-point of their rebuilding stage, though that doesn’t stop him from hoping for a top-three finish in the standings.

“It’s a two-year window to get to the next Founders,” he said. Barrie plays in the Eastern half of the league, travelling as far east as Ottawa, with Rees citing Oshawa, Halton Hills and Mimico as their biggest competition.

Their first league game is April 26 at the team’s new home, the Holly Community Centre.
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April 4, 2008

Barrie Tornado Announce Coaches for '08
--Dave Ree and Kenny Hamilton To Guide Tornado Jr. B's

Barrie, Ontario- The Barrie Tornado Jr. B Lacrosse Club will have two familiar faces behind their bench for the '08 season.

Dave Ree will be the team's Head Coach and General Manager while Kenny Hamilton will be back for his second year as the team's Assistant Coach.

Ree is a familiar face to Tornado Lacrosse and is coming off two successful season's behind the bench of the Barrie Tornado Intermediates. His back to back All- Ontario Intermediate Championships give him a successful springboard into Jr. Lacrosse.

Kenny Hamilton is a former Barrie Tornado Jr. B player. He played for the club in the '01, '02 and '03 season captaining the team in his last two season's and was a key contributor to the 2003 All Ontario and Founders Cup Canadian Championships.

The Barrie Tornado Jr. B's begin their 2008 training camp sessions on Monday night at their new home the Holly Community Center.

For further information, please contact:

Tornado Lacrosse
Tel: (705) 735-5214
Fax: (705) 456-7251
Email: tornadolacrosse@rogers.com 
Website: www.tornadolacrosse.com 
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March 8, 2008

The Barrie Tornado Jr. B Lacrosse Club is scheduled to start their training camp at on Monday April 7th at their new home the Holly Community Center.
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Tornado To Land In Holly;
After a decade at historic Barrie Arena, Jr. 'B' team, minor program moving to brand new facility

Posted By Dave Dawson
Barrie Examiner
March 7, 2008

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Jr. B Awards Night
Date:  August 29, 2007

The Barrie Tornado Jr. B Lacrosse Club held their Awards night yesterday at "Stix Sports Grill".

Awards were presented by Head Coach Ken Hamilton and his Assistants Steve Wilde and Dave Ree.  Leading Scorer, sponsored by "Stix Sports Grill" was awarded to Barrie local Rick Acorn,  with an average of 4 points per game and a total of 44 goals.  The "Hoops N Loops" Rookie of the Year was presented to Paul Clancy who joined the Tornado after playing in the EG Newmarket Minor System.  Patrick Lee, also from EG Newmarket, was awarded the "Pursey, Dooley, Cockburn, Smith Law" Unsung Hero Award.  The "Powerline" Best Defensive Player and the Garner's Source for Sports' MVP Awards were scooped by 4 year Tornado veteran Daniel Ball.  Daniel played and now coaches in the Barrie South SImcoe minor system.

Coach Ken Hamilton thanked his bench staff for all their support over the season.  As many of the players have 4 years left to play in Jr. B, Ken encouraged his youthful team to work over the winter and “keep up their stick skills”.  “This team has so much potential.”’ Ken said.

Assistant Coach Dave Ree also addressed the Barrie S.S. Tornado Intermediate team who attended the evening.  Coach Ree congratulated there strong team effort that saw them win the All-Ontario "A" Championship played in Midland August 17-19.