By Chris Goreski
The History:
The Bantam Girls Rams first met the Walkerton Captials last
month at the Stratford Aces Tournament where they found out the Capitals are
tough customers.
Going into that tournament the Capitals were undefeated in
regular season play with a staggering total goals against of only 3.
That’s right. The Capitals surrendered only three goals all season.
After two hard-fought periods in that preliminary meeting our Bantam Girls were up 3 – 0.
However by the end of the game we saw why the Capitals were undefeated; after a fierce battle in the third period we lost 4 – 3. Notwithstanding a disappointing ending, the Rams showed their true potential to be a formidable opponent against the best teams across the province.
That battle set the stage for tonight’s rematch.
The Re-match:
This evening the Mount Forest Rams Bantam Girls were stoked and focussed on putting out their best effort. Last meeting victory slipped through our fingers and our girls were eager to even the score.
The game remained scoreless after a fast-paced and physical first period. This was thanks in great part to Sandra Nanninga between the posts for the Rams.
The Capitals opened up with a goal two minutes into the second. This stood unanswered as the match heated up throughout the period resulting in some rough play and a few penalties.
Six minutes into the third period our Captain, number 14 Payton Noble, spoke to the Rams’ deficit employing her patented sniper shot to the top left corner on a rush from the defensive end to even the score at 1 – 1.
The remaining minutes of the third proved to be a hard fought battle with end-to-end play, high pressure put on both goaltenders, and a handful of penalties that were necessary to keep the game under control. The Rams surrendered two more goals to end this very close game with a 3 – 1 loss.
At the end of three periods the Rams can be proud of the effort they gave. All members played full-out the entire game and have the bumps and bruises to prove. Credit must be given to Rams Goalkeeper Sandra Nanninga who walked away with a superb showing of 35 saves on tough shots that demanded the best from a young goalie who was up for the challenge.
In essence the Rams and the Capitals are equally matched.
The Mount Forest Rams Bantam Girls look forward to the next opportunity to prove themselves with a win – which is well within their reach.
The next home match is January the 9th, 2015 against West Grey. Come out and watch some fast-paced, well-played, and downright entertaining minor hockey.