Mar 10, 2013 | Greg Eurig | 1682 views
Atom Reps Advance to All-Ontario Final
On the 1st of March the Mount Forest Atom Reps travelled to Baltimore for Game #1 of the best of 5 All-Ontario Semi-Final Series.
A Special Thanks to - Westower Communications, Pike Lake Golf and Country Club, Dewar Electric, Len and Kim Rice, Dwight and Cathy Benson and Verne and Sharon Eurig - for their generous donations, which allowed the team and their families to travel to Baltimore on a coach bus.
The Rams arrived at Baltimore ready to play and were not intimidated by the Baltimore Ice Dogs size and strength. The Reps speed and offensive zone play proved to be too much for the Ice Dogs.
The forward line of Michael Rice, Ashton Hall and Eric Mclean wore down Baltimore and combined for 10 points in Game #1 with Rice leading the way with 3 goals and 2 assists. Mount Forest had control and finished off Game #1 with a 6-2 win.
Game #2 was the following day in Mount Forest. The boys came out hard but were turned away by the Ice Dogs goalie - which would be a reoccurring theme throughout the series. Mount Forest dominated play and chances but Baltimore's strategy was to try and slow down a much faster team by being very physical.
In the 3rd period with no score Luke Eurig created an opening and got a good shot on goal - Evan Dewar drove hard to the net and slapped in the rebound for the go ahead goal. But less than a minute later Baltimore tied it and then with 6 minutes left Baltimore again received a fortunate bounce and went up 2-1. The Reps poured everything they had at the Ice Dogs but their goalie turned away all chances and Baltimore was able to tie the series at 1-1.
Game #3 was the third game in three days for both clubs. Again, Mount Forest came out fast and dominated play but the Ice Dogs keeper with help from his post kept the game scoreless. The referees were "letting the teams play" and Baltimore took full advantage of this with strong stick work and overzealous physicality. The Rams would not back down and with the Ice Dogs receiving a rare penalty - Mount Forest capitalized. Dylan Dallaire hammered a slap shot that bounced off a Baltimore defender to his defense partner - Owen Moyer - who quickly wristed the puck over the Ice Dog keepers glove, giving the home town boys the lead.
It stayed 1-0 well into the third when the visitors got a turnover and quickly transitioned to offense - Jacksen McKenzie stopped the first shot but the rebound snuck by and it was tied at one a piece. The remaining minutes of the 3rd period were scoreless - forcing overtime for the first time in the series.
In overtime both teams traded chances but time ran out - leaving the game a 1-1 tie and forcing the series into a points series with the winner needing 6 to advance.
Game #4
Mount Forest again made the journey to Baltimore on March 8th with the series tied at 3 points each.
Same as the 3 games prior the Rams came out pressuring Baltimore with their speed and skill. The 1st period ended scoreless. In the 2nd the boys hard work paid off when Dewar found himself all alone on a breakaway and he finished five hole to start things off for Mount Forest. Then 7 minutes later Eurig gained the Ice Dogs blue line and ripped a wrist shot off the post and in. 32 seconds after Eurig put the Rams up 2-0 - Owen Weiser took a pass from Ashton Hall and put one in the back of the net making it 3-0.
Baltimore then called a time out which seemed to work. The Rams came out of the time out and quickly took a penalty. The Ice Dogs got on the board with a power play goal. The Ice Dogs were then assessed a penalty of their own. The Reps controlled the puck until a give away in Baltimore's end gave way to a Baltimore short handed goal bringing them within one of the Rams - 3-2.
To start the 3rd the boys tried to get back to what was successful - an aggressive fore check and using their speed - but again the opportunistic Ice Dogs got a bounce and broke in and tied the game 3-3 with 10 minutes to play.
Tensions were high and in dramatic fashion - Weiser with 30 seconds left walked out from the corner and buried the winner short side!
Setting up the opportunity for the Mount Forest Rams to advance to the All-Ontario Final with a win at home on March 9th.
Game #5
Mount Forest pressed the Ice Dogs early and often and finally broke through in the first when Dewar found Weiser all alone in front and Weiser slid it passed the netminder putting the home side up 1-0. The Reps kept coming swarming their opponent but as he did all series long the Baltimore goaltender stood tall.
Then near the end of the 2nd period the Ice Dogs tied it up 1-1 with a rare shot on goal.
In the 3rd the Rams wanted to end the series and with Baltimore in penalty trouble it looked like the boys were going to break through but the Baltimore tender shut the door forcing overtime for the second time in the series.
In the overtime period a Baltimore Ice Dog cross checked Weiser in the neck and was assessed a double minor. The Reps now on the power play were able to get the puck deep in the Ice Dogs end. Hall beat the defenders to the puck and found Rice streaking to the net - and as he had done all series long - Rice buried it for the series winner!
Playing a great team game all series long were forwards Weiser, Eurig, Dewar, Keenan McArthur, Hall, Mclean and Rice. Stopping the Ice Dogs at every turn were defenders - Owen Moyer, Brent Hieber, Jake Kleinstuber and Dylan Dallaire.
The Atom Reps now have the opportunity to become the first Mount Forest team to win All-Ontario in thirty years.
The Mount Forest Atom Rep Rams will now take on the Ilderton Jets in the OMHA finals.
Come out and support our Hometown Boys!