This past week, the Novice Rep IceDogs got ready for the Championship final series vs the Minto Mad Dogs. The series was going to be a great one!
Wednesday night, game 1 in the friendly confines of the Tara Community Centre, the IceDogs battled hard all night and proved to be too much for the Mad Dogs to handle. Constant pressure and continually attacking their opponent in all three zones the whole ended with a 4-1 victory for the home team.
As this series was a best 2 of 3 final, it was important to get the first victory and have the advantage going into game 2.
Game 2. Saturday. Harriston. A nice sunny afternoon and hopefully worth the hour long drive down to play. It is funny to note, on this day the 2017/18 Novice Rep Team won the McClure Division Consolation Final - so anyone superstitous may have found that promising...
Before the game, there were nerves in the dressing room as the players wanted the win badly and were very excited to hopefully bring a banner back to hang in the rafters for years to come. The nerves quickly disappeared as they took to the ice after a big high five from their own IceDog Mascot.
The IceDogs quickly got down to business and from the drop of the puck they played like a team possessed and determined to not let anything slip through their fingers.
After 3 and a half minutes of speed and constant pressure, a blast from the D-man Owen W found its way in the back of the net. A minute later and it was a delicious sauce pass from Connor B right on to the stick of Carter M who tapped it in. 33 seconds later Aden M finished off a nice passing play from Gryphon B and Anthony K and the crowd went crazy. Immediately the Mad Dogs called a time out to try and collect themselves and get ready to push back.
But it didn't work.
Over the next 2 periods the IceDogs banged in another 3 goals to seal the victory. Game ended in a 6-1 victory for the IceDogs. Sticks, gloves and helmets went flying as the team celebrated, received their championship trophy, medals as well as the coveted REDHAT! Was a beautiful thing to see!
As I sit hear and look at the Hodges Division Championship Trophy, The Championship Medal, the REDHAT and as well the Novice Rep IceDogs Hardest Worker Hat, I am reminded of a few things that this team went through to get here.
Things like - at the start of the season we only had 2 returning players who played on the Consolation Champion team of last year which meant 11 new players had to be put through the paces to get up to speed, the tough tournaments this team entered in order to be challenged and to learn what it takes to win and persevere. The players who spent most of their career so far playing one position - only to have their world turned upside down and learn a new position AND to excel in that new position. Was a very challenging but productive start to the season. The turning point of this season was at our own Novice Tournament where on the first day we won a game and then lost the next 2. At that point we could have carried on as normal and maybe have a couple brief encounters with greatness for the rest of the season. It still would have been a good year as nothing was really expected. However, on day 2 of the tournament the team finally bought in wholeheartedly of a total team concept and won a huge battle in the semi final game and an extremely entertaining championship game the next day! A tournament win and a huge corner turned by the whole team! Players supported and looked out for each other - both on and off the ice - and gained the confidence to win. A win in the game prior to the tournament - and from there the team went on a fantastic run to the end of the season - winning 19 of the next 22 games including something like 14 in a row. These players started the season at one level and ended at a level so much higher then anyone thought they could reach. The drive and determination of all these players - to never let their teammates down, play for the logo on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back, to dig down and give everything they had, to endure and excel from practices designed to improve, prepare and grow each individual into a player worth their weight in gold. In a short season, these players have come a long long way. The satisfaction is not necessarily the success of the wins but more of the growth and the development and the buy in of team goals over individual ones.
These players: Aidan S, Michael M, Waylon G,William M, Cohen H, Owen W, Avery W, Gryphon B, Jesse P, Anthony K, Carter M, Aden M and Connor B have proven themselves over and again that they are a TEAM and willing to do what it takes to succeed.
These 13 young players have brought a Championship and the 5th Rep Banner back to Arran- Elderslie Minor Hockey!!!
Congratulations Team! Remember this always! This is your time! You worked your butts off and deserve to be in the limelight for this!
The coaching staff couldn't be more PROUD!!!
