Fans of the Mount Forest Novice Rep Rams got more than their money's worth in the home stretch of playoff action.
The final game in the Round Robin exchange saw the Rams face off against the Ripley Wolves in Mount Forest on March 12.
The squads battled without result in the first period. Riley Moore and Sam Bye were solid in their defensive play, while Alex Iles sacrificed his body to smother the attack. Nole Black, Cory Lewis and Ryan Pacheco had a serious effort at the Wolves' crease before the teams switched ends.
It was the Wolves who attacked first, putting a slider past Dalton Harrison at 6:50 in the second frame. The Rams mounted their own attack but were frustrated at the Wolves crease. Elijah Menzies diffused a serious threat to keep the damage to a minimum. Harrison then had a high chest block to further delay additional damage and allowing the Rams to get out of the period with a 1-0 deficit.
The Wolves doubled their efforts in the third and were met with a backhand flip from Bye that placed the puck in the visitors' end. Lewis was again denied at the crease, followed by an attempt by Jacob Reeves. The Rams suffered for a couple of minutes as they struggled to connect their passes. Iles set up a beautiful opportunity for Corbin Peter, who pushed into the Wolves end, but was stymied along with Lewis. Down a player with a penalty, the Rams burned of the minutes and prevented the Wolves from advancing. Finally Reeves cashed in the chip, with assists to Iles and Pacheco to tie the count 1-1.
Pacheco, Lewis and Black were a nightmare at the Wolves end, but failed to get to the back of the mesh. Harrison made a key save and a breakaway by Lewis had the fans on their feet. However, the match would go into overtime.
Peter had an excellent opportunity but was robbed by the Wolves cager. Iles, Reeves and Peter then had their fans cheering with rapid fire action at the net, however, it would be the Wolves who would take the winning goal with a breakaway midway through the overtime period for a 2-1 final.
WOAA FINALS - GAME 1 AT LUCKNOW
Gearing up for the final tier of playoff action, the Mount Forest Rams faced off against the Lucknow Minor Hockey Association Novice Reps in a three out of five competition.
The first match on March 20 saw the Rams travel to the Lucknow barn. Once again the Rams battled end to end with the hosts. Alex Iles had a solid scoring opportunity, joining the front lines on Right Wing. Nole Black maximized his use of the boards to advance the play and Riley Moore was a blanket on the Lucknow wingers, smothering the play. Corbin Peter rushed through the Lucknow lines, and was joined in the attack by Jacob Reeves and Iles. Dalton Harrison faced a serious barrage of rubber around the 3:10 mark, but for the most part, his team shut down much of the action before it hit the blue line.
In the middle frame Sam Bye was a bookend to Moore, holding the blue line while Moore used his poke check to cut off several breakaways. Harrison insured the defensive game with a solid stick block, but was later breached by a screened rebound shot to get Lucknow on the board. The Rams couldn't buy a goal as Reeves rang a shot off the cross bars and Black grazed the goal line by inches. It was evident by this point that the Rams were easily out shooting their hosts.
The final period started with a bang as Peter had a close call with a shot off the first face off. Elijah Menzies threw his body into the play to stop the Lucknow scoring opportunities. The Rams took an unfortunate penalty which the hosts capitalized on to move the count 2-0. Mount Forest refused to give up and Moore dug in on his blue line to prevent further damage. Lucknow's defense squeezed the Rams offense, which seemed unable to complete their passes for several shifts. Finally, Reeves took a pass from Menzies to get the Rams on the board. Harrison headed to the bench in the final minute of play to place another attacker, but the clock was against the Rams and they had to settle for the 2-1 final.
GAME 2 AT MOUNT FOREST
The Rams enjoyed home ice advantage for their second contest. The first period again saw Mount Forest dominate in the Lucknow end and included excellent passing and play making by Alex Iles, Jacob Reeves and Corbin Peter. Elijah Menzies snuffed out a Lucknow rush, but they returned with just under two minutes remaining to draw first blood.
Iles kicked off the second period with a thrilling breakaway that was denied at the crease. Dalton Harrison finally got some action at his net and was solid between the pipes. Iles made the most of a Reeves rebound and bested the Lucknow cager to tie the game 1-1. This galvanized the visitors, who retaliated with a low fast shot under Harrison's pads to advance.
In the third chapter the Rams doubled their efforts as Ryan Pacheco administered a solid poke check, and Menzies and Moore teamed up to frustrate the Lucknow attackers. Nole Black tied things up, with thanks to a pass from Pacheco, but Lucknow pulled ahead moments later as they launched a missile into the top corner of the Rams net for a 3-2 count. It looked like the team might falter when another fast goal gave Lucknow a 4-2 advantage, but it only served to inspire the Rams. Menzies used his body to assist at the crease, allowing the forwards to take the rubber back to the visitor end. Pacheco, Lewis and Black has three near misses, and the fans were on their feet when Lewis finally did pick through the garbage left by these line mates at the Lucknow crease to narrow the margin 4-3. Reeves then beat the defense to tie the match 4-4.
In spite of an overtime opportunity, the squads were too tightly matched to determine a victor, and they had to leave with a tie.
GAME 3 AT MOUNT FOREST
The second Mount Forest home game in the series on March 22 found the teams counting points in the quest for six and the resulting title.
The first period saw no scoring opportunities, in spite of serious attempts, especially by the Rams aggressive forwards and solid defense. The home team demonstrated tremendous position play as well as passing technique. No penalties were drawn by the Rams, demonstrating their focus on the puck.
The second stanza, however, saw the guests take the first point with a low long angle shot. Corbin Peter was in the right place at the right time to put the Rams on the score board, chipping in a rebound off Jacob Reeves. This gave the team a new lease on life and result in excellent plays by Ryan Pacheco who intercepted passes and Riley Moore who was the picture of intensity on the Rams blue line.
Sam Bye surprised several Lucknow wingers by beating them to the puck throughout the third period and administering a stinging poke check. Finally Pacheco passed to Nole Black who tucked a squeaker of a goal under the pads to give the Rams the advantage. The boys were on fire now and effectively locked down the Lucknow offense, resulting in a 2-1 final.
GAME 4 AT LUCKNOW
Returning to Lucknow, the Rams gave their traveling fans their a real show as they marched through playoff action.
Mount Forest pretty much parked on the Lucknow blue line, and became a nightmare to the host goalie, thanks to five star efforts by Riley Moore and Sam Bye. Rotating with Elijah Menzies, they continued to feed the puck to the forward lines. The Rams executed textbook tape to tape passes and playmaking. Nole Black dropped back to assist the defensive lines and Jacob Reeves and Corbin Peter frayed Lucknow's nerves by back checking. Neither squad could find the back of the net during the first period.
Reeves, Peter and Alex Iles kicked off the second period with rapid fire agony at the Lucknow crease. Ryan Pacheco had a thrilling near miss while Black and Cory Lewis had a field day in front of the Lucknow net. Moore again proved to be a backbone of the team with his steady, reliable presence. Again, the Rams outshot the host team but could not count in the second period.
Waves of Rams attackers gave the Lucknow cager a solid workout. Cory Lewis swept the puck under the goalie's pads to get the Rams on the score board 1-0. It was enough to take the win as Dalton Harrison stood up well against a last minute wave of offense from the host team.
GAME 5 AT MOUNT FOREST
With legions of fans in the stands, the Rams had one mission - to claim the McClure Cup on home ice.
As soon as the puck touched the ice, the team was ready for every opportunity. A well rested Luke Cowen was ready for his, taking a rebound from Jacob Reeves and assisted by Nole Black, to take the first goal at 8:46 in the first period. The Rams continued to keep the pressure on and effectively shut down the Lucknow team's key scoring machines. Ryan Pacheco saved his best performances for the playoffs and continued to shine throughout the game.
In the second frame, Lucknow's goalie had a serious workout - as Cory Lewis, Nole Black and Pacheco did everything but throw the puck in the net. Finally Pacheco bulged the twine, with credits to his line mates, and advanced the cause 2-0. Dalton Harrison had key saves which allowed the Rams continue their attack, but with just less than four minutes remaining, Lucknow managed to sweep a shot past him. The versatile Alex Iles returned to his defense line and owned his zone.
The motivation from the goal carried the guests through to the third period where they found the back of the net to tie the count 2-2. The action throughout the match can only be described as rail shaking. The fans were screaming and making good use of their noise makers to show their encouragement for the home squad. In a true team effort, the Rams were able to fend off Lucknow attacks. The clock wound down on the tie, resulting in another 10 minute overtime period.
The fourth frame started off with Cowen and Corbin Peter heading for the net. As was the case throughout the series, Lucknow made attempts at the Rams end and was thwarted by Harrison with excellent glove work. Elijah Menzies worked his player on the boards while Riley Moore drew applause each time he pulled the puck off a Lucknow stick. Mount Forest registered a penalty and it seemed as though this might turn the tide, but the Rams reinforced their efforts and Black took a pass from Reeves to score the winning goal.
To the delight of the fans, the team received their medallions and caps after congratulating their challengers. A victory lap with the trophy and a celebration in the dressing room topped off what has been a remarkable season with a 23-8-4 record.
Kudos and congratulations to Coach Ian Francis, Coach Brent Moore, Trainer Dennis Black, Assistant Trainer Jamie Hincks and Manager Kim Francis.