On
Sunday, February 26th, our Tyke Select team participated in a Tyke Fun Day
hosted by the Muskoka Rock of Port Carling. In order to even the
playing field, the Tyke Select team was divided up into two teams and
additional players were added such as our AP players; Weston Wolgemuth, Owen
Cameron, Noah Gauthier, Jackson Jennings and Wyatt Davidson, as well some
additional Novice and Tyke Players (Lincoln Wouters, Chris Reading and Charlie
Davidson).
Our two teams, aptly named the South Muskoka Bears Team #1 “Black” and South Muskoka Bears Team #2 (“White”) headed out to Port Carling for a day of fun. Our South Muskoka Bears Black team started the action, playing at 9:00 a.m. against the Muskoka Rock. It was a great game and the “Black” Bears won that game 7 – 1. Our “White” Bears played their first game right afterwards, playing the Huntsville Otters at 10:00 a.m. The “White” Bears were also victorious, winning their game 6 – 2.
There was no rest for the wicked as the “White” Bears, shortly after playing the Huntsville Otters, were back on deck at noon, playing the Muskoka Rock for Round #2. It was also a great game to watch and the Bears came out on top, winning the game 10 – 2. Likewise, the “Black” Bears followed suit and played their second game of the tournament against the Parry Sound Shamrocks at 2:00 p.m. In this game, the Shamrocks gave the team a run for their money but the Black Bears came out on top, winning 5 – 2 to end the regular play games, like the White Bears, with a two game winning streak.
Ironically, the championship game for the day had our White Bears (who ranked first after the first two games) pitted against our Black Bears (who ranked second) for the championship title. Coach Mark McGrath remained in the neutral zone and was nicknamed “Switzerland” as he cheered on both teams for that game. Both sides fought it out and played great hockey. Our newcomers to the teams fit right in and made the transition look seamless. Despite a hard fought game with both teams giving it their all, the White Bears team was the ultimate winner of the game, taking the game with a score of 7 – 2 over the Black Bears. There was an awards presentation after that game – where the Black Bears team was presented with their medals and a trophy and then, the White Bears team was presented with their medals and the championship trophy. Then, both teams posed for a great team photo. A great day was had by all. It was at a great venue, was well organized and the players all got treated to a fabulous pizza lunch. A fantastic way to spent a Sunday in Muskoka in the winter. Photo: Both teams after receiving their awards.