This is what the Stratford Hunter Steel Warriors envisioned when they signed Noah Bender. Article content

It just took a little longer than expected. Article content Article content

The big southpaw finally made his Warriors’ debut in net on Friday night, and he stopped all 13 shots he faced in a 1-0 win over Hamilton in front of 839 fans at Allman Arena.

“It was great,” he said moments after stepping off the ice. “The boys made it pretty easy on me. They played well in front of me, and it my job a lot easier.”

Bender, you might remember, signed in Stratford before the 2023-24 season after backstopping Wellesley to a Junior C title. He spent less than two weeks with the Warriors and started a preseason game against St. Marys, but his time in Stratford ended when the Oshawa Generals

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