Feb 25, 2009 | fturnbull | 2845 views
Mount Forest Bantam Girls Win the 2009 International Women’s Silver Stick Tournament in Cold Creek, Ontario.
Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, one moment. Would you capture it or just let it slip? — rap icon Eminem Mount Forest’s Bantam Girls hockey team took their opportunity and went the distance, winning the 2009 International Women’s Silver Stick Tournament in Cold Creek, Ontario.
The locals used team defence and a unified vision to gel as a unit and work their way to the gold medal. From front to back, the 15-member squad never took their eyes off the prize, and refused to accept anything but the championship. “We had a lot of heart,” player Alisha Luty said of the remarkable victory. “And we’re pro,” added a succinct Jaime Reeves. Getting started wasn’t easy, as a long drive hampered Mount Forest in game one and the high-flying Nepean Wildcats rolled up a 3-0 shutout. The locals got their legs under them later in the game, but couldn’t capitalize and steal a win. Nepean was ahead only 1-0, when a late power-play tally doubled the lead and set the stage for an empty net game-ending goal. Knowing they had to win in game two, Mount Forest made no mistake against Clearview, and skated to a 4-1 victory after giving up the first goal of the game. Coach Glerum moved Amanda Hincks up to left wing from defence, and she made it pay immediately by scoring the tying goal on her first shift, thanks to an assist from Kassidy Cowen. Mount Forest was outskating Clearview by mid-game and Reeves scored what would hold up as the winner. Megan Yake started the play, making a beautiful crossing pass for Jaime to stuff in the short side. Stephanie Orr got in on the act next, finishing a play from Danielle Grotenhuis and Aneila Pinder; and steady pressure sealed the deal in the third period when Reeves fired a nice pass in front to Yake. Mount Forest continued to dominate in game three, blanking the St. Catharines Chaos 4-0. Reeves got it started with a marker from Hincks and Cowen, and Jessica Turnbull scored a beautiful 2-0 tally when she burned up the right side and fired the puck deep into the top left corner. Hard work in front of the net brought Orr one more, as she jammed the puck home on assists from Luty and Grotenhuis. Turnbull then iced the 4-0 win as she jammed home a Yake pass. Revenge was the name of the game in game four, as Mount Forest laced up against Goderich, the team that defeated them in the regional Silver Stick final. The girls weren’t about to let it happen again, and battled their way to a 2-0 win. “We sent those Goderich Sailorettes right back to the lake,” said a jubilant Hincks and Cowen. With Tamara Officer yet again playing well in net, the Bantams shook off a slow start and began to take it to the Sailorettes. Yake opened the scoring in period two just as a power-play ended, burying a rebound on a Cowen point blast. The game see-sawed back and forth, until Justine Glerum burst through the Goderich defence and ripped a low, hard shot on net. Following the play, Reeves was there for the rebound, and knocked home the 2-0 clincher. “The dressing room karaoke and rapping skills definitely motivated us to take home what we came for,” said Aneila Pinder. Fully into lose-or-go-home time, game five was another nervous nailbiter as Mount Forest edged the Walkerton Capitals 2-1. Walkerton grabbed the lead inside the first minute of play, but dogged Ram determination eventually turned the tide. Kellie Rawn tied the game in the second stanza, as she tapped home a juicy Turnbull rebound. Chances opened up at both ends of the ice, but both goalies were playing well and refusing to allow a goal. Reeves, however, took a pass from Pinder just inside the Mount Forest blueline and streaked up the ice. Jaime beat the defence, and then unloaded a beautiful shot that beat the goalie to the stick side. A power-play and pulled goalie gave Walkerton a 6-on-4 edge in the late going, but the locals played shorthanded like experts. The 2-1 score held, and Mount Forest was on their way to the tournament final. Playing loose and without the burden of nerves, the girls met Petrolia head-on and outlasted a good team en route to a 1-0 victory. Once again, goaltending told the tale in this one, and Officer emerged with the shutout and victory. Reeves picked up a loose puck and scored what would stand up as the gold-medal goal, thanks to assists from Hincks and Tori Zeinstra. Penalty trouble in the late stages brought a few butterflies to the fans, but Mount Forest held on to earn the championship. “I am very proud of our team, for achieving something no one ever thought that we could achieve,” said Officer, who was awarded the Silver Puck as the top player of the tournament. Like any winning team, the Bantams held fast to a number of game superstitions, such as sitting and dressing in the same spots, blasting Eminem songs at top volume, and Officer wearing the same T-shirt for the entire tournament. Above all, team commitment and determination propelled the girls to the Silver Stick crown, and their desire and perseverance made them champions. Being the underdog, bumped from a C level to a B level team, did not dampen their spirit or appetite to reach the ultimate level. The weekend was a full team effort, as the players united as a team and overcame every obstacle on their route to gold medal glory.