A challenge in many ways indeed, driving (hazardous), selfcontrol (referee-ing), but for the girls it was all about hard work and having fun!
GAME 1 MILVERTON ROYALS - MOUNT FOREST RAMS
This game starts with a push and a shuffle as Natalie and Danielle get going, Allyson behind them using the boards nicely to get the puck where she wants it. The girls have it under control and Natalee chases it, when Jenna and Jordyn make sure it goes the other way again and ends up on Gillian's stick and she gives a pass to Haley right in front of the net.
As the puck goes many ways it didn't find the net yet. Natalie show a neat wrap around the Milverton net but it's picked up by the Royals and brought back in. Meagan is ready and with a great hussle as we all know she can, the puck is brought back to the Milverton net, where we get a face off. Natalee takes it and with a pass meant for the blue line (great thinking), it didn't quite get there and Marissa ended up doing some good stretching.
As the play is more in the Milverton end, Haley passes to Natalie who gets a great chance for a point, but the goalie is strong. With Milverton not giving up, the puck now keeps traveling in the Mount Forest end and with Marissa down flat it is a simple up and over and 1-0 with about 2 more minutes in the first period left to go.
There is one more chance for the Rams a Natalie and a Milverton player land on the puck, which gets stuck underneath their goalie. As forward Danielle had to speed back to chase a Royal with puck and decided to take Marissa out as well, but all that matters was, no goal! One more great shot from the blue line from Allyson ended the first period. Which starts off with a bouncing puck, Natalie fiddling with it and Marissa making a good save.
Some good passing in front of the net by Danielle and Gillian. Samatha fights on the boards. Jenna, Haley and Natalie get in front off the Milverton net and with a great chance Samantha just misses the rebound. There is more good passing but unfortunately nobody around or ready to finish. Danielle goes for a break away but the rebound makes a u-turn and Milverton ends up with their second goal of the game. But with under a minute to go Samantha, Danielle and Gillian keep working the Milverton net and with a beauty Gillian topcorners Mount Forest first for the day, 2-1.
The third period is a lot of ping pong and icings, flip-flopping around and it becomes 3-1 Milverton. Haley gives off a great shot from the blue line. Milverton keeps working very had and the Rams are slow to react. The girls try hard but even an unnoticed handpass from Gillian did not help. Jenna ends up facing 3 Royals, but she can handle it. As Mount Forest pulls the goalie it seems to work and Danielle makes is 3-2, they have 28 seconds left but no luck.
GAME 2 ILDERTON - MOUNT FOREST
As of the first second it was a fast game and before we knew it the score was 3-0. They are a really good team, they play together so well and from their stick handling and footwork, the girls can learn a lot. Ilderton won 1-0 of St Marys (we remember Stratford 13-0). So we knew they where going to be a handful. But nonetheless a game needed to be played and the Rams where ready to take them on. Danielle and Gillian thought they might need some extra good luck and decided to tape their pants and sticks with each others tape. But all though Ilderton was quick to take advantage off and point out Mount Forest weaker spots. Great individual actions showed off the girls strength
Jenna shows some great passing and Jordyn showed her relaxed way of stealing the puck away from Ilderton. Samantha showed her perseverence and creates a good chance, but doesn't uses her team mates who skate with and shoots too early. It was tough hockey, lots of pushing, kicking at puck. Not anything the Rams do normally, but I think they should maybe be a little bit less sweet...
The fourth goal went through a whole bunch of legs including Marissa's. Danielle chase the puck in and with Samantha behind her, who this time gives of a good pass to Gillian. But the game turns very quickly every time and we go from 5 to 6-0 with in a matter of minutes. The girls work hard but are overwhelmed by the power off Ilderton.
The third period came and the girls being tired they collectively fell asleep on the ice, not so in the stands, as we were short before collective heart failure by stress...
Gillian decided to show some deep hidden brilliance in the end as she easily outplays Ilderton at boards, takes the puck outplays a few more and takes off to the Ilderton end and as the coaches where as stunned and asked her "where did you get those Bobby Orr moves.." (her father is too blame for that one). Meagan also had a great chance for an one timer and so had Natalee. The girls ended this period looking strong with a great shift.
GAME 3 MONDAY MOUNT FOREST - BLYTH
This was the most ridiculous Atom game I have ever watched. Not the girls of either team where in the eye of the public, but the Referees managed to play the main part of this game!
The first period Mount Forest had 4 penalties and 1 for Blyth (the only one for Blyth in the whole game..). As the girls spend more time having only 4 players on the ice, it was only due to their hard work that is was 2-2 by the end off the first period. Samantha made it 2-1 right in the five hole. Natalie decided on some distraction methods for the Blyth goalie and snowed her. Marissa stood not high but strong as she stopped a break away from Blyth. The emotions where heating up faster off the ice then on ice.
The girls kept working their buds off, Allyson fights behind the net and works it under Marissa, as she decided it was safer to sit on it. Some nice work from Danielle getting it around the net on Gillian's stick and in it went, 2-2. Allyson was on the hit list today and managed to get two penalties in a row.
Too sum up these penalties, quite the variation really, 1 too many women, 1 tripping, 1 body check (you must be kidding..) 3 hookings and a roughing (exuse me I just scrapped myself off the floor..)
Natalee makes it for the Blyth net, but some how the puck made it back and slid in behind Marissa, 3-2 in the first minute of the second period. Natalie shows some nice work passing it in front of the net. Jenna does some good stick lifting. Meagan was the one ending up with the roughing penalty, as it was her who ended up crushed on the board though, you figure.. Anyway combine an angry coaching staff, a one-sided game, some blind referee-ing and screaming parents it can only be described as ...Fun! Up to the next game!
GAME 4 WATERLOO - MOUNT FOREST
After a long break, which was costly (for some off us) but fun, the girls ended up playing their last game at 4.30 in the afternoon.
It started of on very wet ice, so wet that our Ram had be pried off the ice, the puck didn't want to move and the girls were greatly outnumbered, 16 to 9. There was a lot of confusion by the girls, they had to be on their toes this game, as the defence rotated with the offence and even if they wanted off they couldn't. It was clearly visible on the stand that the color of their cheeks got brighter and brighter. As the first goal is for Blyth, they don't give up Danielle gives it her all and makes is 1-1. As the second period starts off with a hooking penalty Meagan and Allyson hussle big time and it pays off with a beauty of a goal through a hard shot by Allyson. The game had it's rougher moments as some enemies where made and thank goodness for offsides. Natalee finishes off this period with a great chase.
The third period started with twirling, but the game was definitely in Mount Forests hands and as (we were getting used to it, I guess) we were cheated out of tripping penalty (if I have ever seen one...) In stead it ended in our net, 2-2.
Girls you did a great job, this game was yours! and it was a joy watching you all in action, we are very proud of you all doing a great JOB!!