October 26-28th had the South
Muskoka Bantam Bears trekking to North Bay for their Early Bird Fall Classic
Hockey Tournament.
Six games in forty-eight
hours showcased just how much willpower, stamina and fortitude the Calvacade
Bantam Bears possess. A dark horse going into this tournament, South Muskoka took
to the ice with both barrels loaded.
Game 1 pitted the Bears against Valley Storm. With only minutes remaining in the first period, forward Jonathan Taylor notched the first goal of the game putting the Bears on the map. While the puck saw loads of end-to-end action winger Nate Lyndon secured the 2
nd goal of the day. Unfortunately Valley Storm thundered in a marker just before this frame ended making this a 2-1 game.
The third period brought loads of tension as the Bears hounded the puck. Defensively Kam Wilson and Zach Low worked tirelessly to pinch the boards and secure the blue line. The Storm hunkered down and hit payday to tie the game early into this frame. This game of cat-and-mouse continued as Owen Morris and Will Cairns hit their shifts in overload.
With just over a minute remaining in the game, winger Lyndon snaked his way up the ice blasting a rocket past the Storm’s goaltender, sealing this win with a score of 3-2.
Netminding duties went to Lucas LaHay who was spectacular in net.
Game MVP honours went to Nate Lyndon.
Game 2 had the Bears skating against Deep River. Once again, it was a nail-biter of a game as South Muskoka battled their way into another dog-fight of a game.
First frame had Deep River hitting the net but it was winger Ben Little who finally got revenge by putting the Bears onto the scoreboard with Morris nailing the assist. Moments later Luca Barnes set up Lyndon for his first of two goals. Barnes was rewarded for his hard work as Wilson fed Barnes for a beautiful goal, ending this frame 3-1 for the Bears.
The second period was all about staying alive. Deep River netted three goals alone, while the Bears fought back with Lyndon and Cairns nailing the coffin shut on this game as the Bears skated off winners with a score of 5-4.
Goaltending duties went to Christopher Cousineau who stood tall and stayed focused.
Game MVP honours went to Luca Barnes.
Game 3 continued with the Bears fighting their way through another tough team. Facing off against the North Bay Trappers, South Muskoka had to work hard for this win.
Defensive partners Kylee Ruppert and Maddison Miller were ruthless with their poke-checking and back-checking. A powerful duo, these two made their presence known on the ice. It was Wilson who hit the tape of Cairns. Cairns made no mistake of his intentions as hit the net almost right out of the gate. The Trappers responded in like, keeping things tied.
The second period had Barnes hitting the net ending the period with the Bears leading 2-1.
The third frame proved to be interesting as defensemen Dan Cox and Low hit their shifts by setting up their brothers’ with smart plays up the boards. Unfortunately the Trappers nailed two goals, stealing the lead.
As Taylor, Morris and Little skated themselves to exhaustion, defenseman Kam Wilson was the man of the hour. With just over a minute remaining, Wilson sent a searing shot from just inside the blue line securing the tie and making his teammates extremely proud. Final score was 3-3.
Goaltending duties went to Lucas LaHay.
Game MVP honours went to Lucas LaHay.
Game 4 had the Bears facing off against the North Bay Cycle. The first period had Drew Peacock setting the tone as he notched a spectacular marker putting a breath of fresh air into his team. The second saw goals from Wilson and Barnes. The fourth goal went to Little and Lyndon put this baby to bed with a final score of 5-3.
Pipes were tended to by Christopher Cousineau.
Game MVP honours went to Kam Wilson.
Game 5 had a buzz that only a semi-final can provide. “Do or Die” brought a sense of both pressure and absolute confidence as the Bears took to the ice against the Elliot Lake Vikings.
The Bears owned this game as Morris went unassisted for the first goal of the game. Cairns followed up with a goal of his own, as did Taylor. Two more goals were had with Peacock nailing the door shut on this 5-0 win.
Goaltending was tended to by Lucas LaHay
Game MVP honours went to Jonathan Taylor.
The championship game had the Bears facing off against the Kemptville Panthers. While South Muskoka played with everything they had, good goaltending and size became a factor in this game. Kemptville swept this game 3-0 leaving the Bears worn down and worn out.
Game MVP honours went to netminder, Christopher Cousineau.
Head Coach Dave Ruppert took pride in his team’s accomplishments. “Overall, this darkhorse of a team shone brightly throughout this entire tournament. The Bears dug deep and in the processed discovered a powerful strength they didn’t know they had. Trust and confidence serviced the kids well. Now they know what they are capable of."