Feb 15, 2010 | phincks | 4753 views
BANTAM GIRLS DEFEND INT'L SILVERSTICK CHAMPIONSHIP
This past weekend the Bantam girls successfully defended their International Silverstick Title and became the First Girls Team in the Province to Repeat as Champions @ the Bantam "B" level. An accomplishment indeed as the majority of Ontario's top Bantam "B" teams descended on Trenton, Ontario looking to capture Silverstick glory.
The girls game schedule proved to be a challenge as well, their round robin play required them to play once on Friday and three times on Saturday, with the first game @ 8am and the last @ 9pm. The girls first game started @ 11:20 Friday morning v.s. The Kincardine Kinucks, a tough old foe from the W.O.A.A. days. Kincardine came out flying and applied immense pressure in the first period, but were unable to capitalize on some quality chances as Ram goalie Tamara Officer shut the door with some "highlight reel" saves. As the game progressed the girls ramped up pressure and @ 10:33 of the 3rd period Megan Yake took a Hincks blueline pass and stuffed home a powerplay goal. Buoyed by the goal the girls continued pressing forcing Kincardine into more penalty trouble and @ 4:22 of the 3rd Jessica Turnbull scored with a nice wrist shot stick side with assists going to Becky Bults and Jenn Culp, sealing a 2-0 win and the first win of the tournament.
The girls had a long wait before their next game which started 8:00 am Saturday morning v.s. The Smith Falls Cubs. Smith Falls, 1st place in their Ottawa league, proved to be another tough opponent. Play seesawed back and forth until penalty trouble set in resulting in a 5 on 3 for the Cubs. The girls did a great job killing off a 1 min. 2 man disadvantage and while 1 man short Kellie Rawn took an Alyssa Becker pass and fed Becky Bults who let go a hard wrist shot that deflected off the Cub's defenceman and into the net for a 1-0 lead @ 8:30 of the 1st period. Good chances at either end went unrecorded until 3:18 of the 2nd frame when Center Kellie Rawn won the faceoff back to pointman Justine Glerum who delivered a low hard wristshot that beat the "screened" Cub's goalie glove side, giving the girls all they needed for a 2-0 win.
The Rams 3rd game was only 3 hours later @ noon v.s. The Kanata Rangers, another tough team from the Ottawa league. This game was a challenge. The girls, playing their 2nd game of the day faced a big and strong team with fresh legs and it showed. Penalty trouble early, 2 men short in the first 3min of the game, helped Kanata dominate the play, but it also allowed Rams goalie Tamara Officer a chance to show she can " STAND ON HER HEAD", making some nice saves in close. Great Job Tamara!. The girls slowly started to build pressure as Kanata slowed down, and by the 3rd period the girls were taking the play to them with nothing to show for it until 4:22 of the 3rd where a hard forecheck by Jenn Culp got the puck to Becky Bults whose shot on net was redirected past the Rangers goalie by a diving Jessica Turnbull. Great Second Effort Jess!. The score stood giving the girls their 3rd win and securing a 1st place finish in round robin play, eventhough 1 more game needed to be played.
Their 4th and final round robin game, 9:00pm Saturday night v.s. The Ilderton Jets, was a slower paced game as both combatants were tired from a long day of competition. The girls, running on hyperactivity, outplayed their opponent and were rewarded on a power play when Jessica Turnbull "put home " a lose puck with assists going to Nicole Ross and Justine Glerum. To round out the scoring Nicole Langdon finished off a nice passing play from Kellie Rawn and Megan Yake to give the girls a 2-0 win and a perfect record in round robin play.
The girls could now go back to the hotel and get a good nights rest, but not before a bunch of the ladies handed out some teletubby valentine cards to the coaches. I love tinky winky too girls!.
The Semi-Final produced yet one more opponent from the Ottawa league, The Kemptville Storm. Another tough game ensued as action was end to end with the girls scoring with 8 seconds remaining in the 1st period. Kassidy Cowens point shot was driven home by Jessica Turnbull while the girls enjoyed a rare powerplay opportunity. The score remained 1-0 until 1:25 of the 2nd period, after some sustained pressure by Kemptville, a hard shot from the point made it passed a heavily screened Rams goalie, tying the score 1-1. The Kemptville goal not only tied the game but ended Tamara Officer's shutout streak @ 166min." Way To Play Btw The Pipes Tamara". Kemptville gained some momentum from the goal and started pressing for several minutes before the girls started to answer back and with the heat on Jessica Turnbull, yet again, turned a Jenn Culp pass into a winning goal @ the 6:33 mark of the 3rd period. Good Effort Ladies! They were now onto the finals.
After the Game the girls sat down to watch and see who their opponents would be, as The Walkerton Capitals took on the Smith Falls Cubs. After an even start for both teams Walkerton started to mount pressure and eventually dominated their opponent in an impressive 3-0 win, setting the stage for yet another monster battle between these two teams.
The final game, played @ 4:00pm Sunday afternoon, didnot disappoint with an extremely hard fought game by both teams. It was a defensive battle with both goalies putting on a clinic for the fans as they made some game saver" stops. However @ 9:54 of the 2nd period Megan Yake took a Kellie Rawn pass and sent Jessica Turnbull 1on1 high in the Walkerton zone, where about 8' over the blueline and under defensive pressure Turnbull delivered a hard wristshot that beat the Walkerton goalie stick side. It proved to be the game winning goal as both teams battled back and forth in a highly entertaining hockey game, with the girls surviving a formidable last minute push by Walkerton. With 8 seconds to go everyone in attendance got to witness a monster battle at the faceoff circle as center Kellie Rawn practically wrestled with the Walkerton player as both players battle for possession of the puck and while laying on the ice with the Walkerton player on top of her Rawn reached out with her stick and knocked the puck away denying the Walkerton defenceman one last shot on net. Way to Battle Kellie! The buzzer sounded and all the girls,Jessica Turnbull,Becky Bults,Maryssa Eccles,Kassidy Cowen, Kellie Rawn,Nicole Ross,Amanda Hincks, Brianne McMullen,Alyssa Becker,Nicole Langdon,Megan Yake, Justine Glerum, Jenn Culp and Chloe Lark, flooded onto the ice to bury they're goalie Tamara Officer and celebrate their INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
CONGRATULATIONS LADIES ON AN UNBELIEVABLE WEEKEND OF HOCKEY.
HATS OFF TO ALL THE GIRLS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND FOCUS!
From The Coach