Mar 09, 2016 | Bill |Nanninga | 1265 views
CRESCENDO, BANTAM GiRLS HL WIN CHAMPIONSHIP UNDEFEATED
After a long season of perseverance and tenacity the Bantam house girls travelled to Wingham this past weekend and returned home with the WOAA builders championship for the first time since 2004. The team ramped up its play incrementally over the last eight games to finish with a tournament routing four win streak.
The girls started their final run the week before at the Clearview tourney in Alliston. Going in the girls were sitting 7-16-7 for the year, and facing a tough grouping against three eventual tourney semi-finalists. But the girls put on a tremendous show going three ties and a 2-1 loss to bow out the tourney with a very respectable 6-7 goals F/A and goalie Sandra's first two assists of the season! While the skill level had improved steadily thru the year it was gratifing to the coaching staff to watch the team finally getting consistent with their tactical game, and seeing the girls smile on the bench with the well deserved results. It was to be just to be the warm up though to the following weekend.
Woaa tournament weekend in Wingham followed with all the anticipation and excitement expected.
With all the teams assembled to the contest, the lobby and halls were buzzing and a sence of common spirit was palpable. The team had some pregame jitters, (including a coach who should be to old for that) but the coaches turned that energy to focus on the same fundamentals they had emphasized all year. Pressure, Position, Passing, and Protection were the teams focus along with the mantra of 'the puck never leaves your stick without an address on it'.
The girls first game was against South Bruce unbeaten by us in four preceding match ups. But not this time. A see saw game then Sage opened up the scoring with a pass from Rachel midway thru the second. SB countered a minute later and the third period started 1-1. Lots of pressure both ways was the rule for the third with McKenna finally able to feed Evelyn who charged wide and deep burying the puck top right to take the game away from SB for the first time. Game 2 was against the always aggressive and challenging Walkerton C, with two one goal games previously. Again the action was fast and the defence tight with the game again tied going into the third, MF short handed. The go ahead goal came at 6:02 and riding the momentum Courtney gets the game winner a minute later to end with a 2-0 shut out. Game three was against TCDMHA playing their best hockey of the year as well, tying both their first two games and needing the win to advance. The game is fast and rough as both teams get aggressive around the net and some necessary enforcement happens when the refs are reluctant to whistle stoppage. But the girls passing play was a little more disciplined and Sage scores off a quick pass from Evelyn in the second and Brook scores on a textbook rebound from Courtney in the third to cement the win and guarantee of playing the final Sunday morn against SB. The final starts with the girls riding high on there wins so everybody is shocked when a MF deflection goes in the MF net 21 seconds into the game. But the deflectee goes end to end for a solo goal a minute later to earn repentance and tie the game which again goes tied til the midway thru the third, when MaKenna's hard shot from the point is perfectly defected past the quick net minder of SB. The MF girls hit overdrive and score two more in quick succession to the applause of the MF fans as the championship is won decisively. An elated group of MF girls lifted their trophy high and experienced the final 'p'. PRIDE. What a fantastic finish to a great year for this fine group of hockey players.