The Calvacade Ford Bantam Bears rep team journeyed to St. Catherines March 14-16th for the Warriors March Break hockey tournament. With 58 teams from assorted age groups, it was an action-packed weekend full of riveting hockey.The Bears were looped into a major Bantam division with 10 teams in total. The venues were top-notch providing a quality over-all experience.
Game 1 had South Muskoka facing off against the Hespeler Shamrocks. While Hespeler got lucky hitting the scoreboard first, it was South Muskoka who opened the flood gates in the 2nd frame. Luca Barnes and captain Nate Lyndon took charge right out of the gate putting the Bears in the driver’s seat. The 3rd saw Zac McLennan and Joey Dowling netting goals sealing the win and setting the tone for what became an outstanding weekend of hockey from the Bears club. Final score was 4-2.
Game 2 had South Muskoka pitted against the Wallaceburg Lakers. While the puck went end-to-end, the Bears dominated this game. Goal tending was an issue and South Muskoka simply couldn’t bury the puck past the Laker’s net minder. This game of cat and mouse continued throughout the entire game. Finally, rookie defenceman Campbell Coutts made his presence known as he sniped a bullet from the blue line early into the 2nd pd. Minutes later winger Lucas Pringle stepped up with a beauty goal jamming home a rebound. Lyndon shut the door on this game nailing a dirty slap shot from just inside the point. Defencemen Jonathan Taylor and Coutts both worked endlessly to bottleneck the offence, providing solid defence for their goal tender. Final score was 3-2.
Game 3 had the boys up bright and early strapping up the laces against the Pelham Panthers. It was another outstanding performance for the boys. While there seemed to be an abundance of penalties, the Bears dominated from start to finish. Centreman Owen Morris shined as he brought home 2 goals in this game. Forward Drew Peacock had 2 crucial assists and forwards Oliver Hammond and Barnes nailed the coffin shut with a goal each.
Defensively Ben Little and Dan Cox dazzled as they back-checked and pinched the boards with authority. Little was swift with his justice continually beating his opponent to the puck. Final score was 4-0.
Game 4 brought the West Lorne Comets out of orbit for a dog-fight of a game. Again the Bears dominated this game from the opening face-off but getting it past the goaltender was another matter. A suspension forced the Bears to shift lines and work their magic with a bit more tenacity. Peacock switched gears to defence while Rowland moved to forward. Over and over the Bears poke-checked, back checked and shut down the Comets offensive attacks. The clock ticked on and finally this game came to an end with the game being tied 2-2.
Locked into first place in their loop, South Muskoka kept their wits about them. With the semi-finals in reach, game 5 had the Bears pitted against the East Lampton Eagles. Higher up the food chain, the Bears made no mistake as to their intentions as they hit the scoreboard almost immediately. McLennan was smokin’ hot as he hit the net with back-to-back short-handed goals. South Muskoka played some of their finest hockey of the year this weekend. Smart passes, well-timed checks and putting the puck on net paid off for the boys. This game was wrapped up with a nice big bow as the Bears skated off with a 4-2 victory setting them up for the championship game against the Wallaceburg Lakers.
Having already successfully beat the Lakers in earlier play, this championship game brought with it a vibe that gold was definitely within reach. Like all 5 games before, the Bears were pumped, excited and energized. The shuffling of lines worked well for the Bears. Rowland rose to the occasion and show-cased his speed and strength as a solid forward. The boys were patient when cycling the puck. Their ability to kill off several pentalties was crucial to the success of this game. It was however, the fact that the Bears worked together like a well-oiled machine as they invested their time with incredible passing as they set each other up for several scoring opportunities. McLennan, Peacock and Lyndon all bent the twine hitting the scoreboard and sealing this win with a 3-1 victory.
Netminding duties all weekend went to Lucas LaHay. LaHay was exceptional in his timing and focus. With the endless scrums in his crease, he managed to continuously zone in on the puck, stand on his head and keep his team in the games.
Coach Ted Lowcock was full of pride as he acknowledged the hard work and sacrifice the boys made physically. “All along I knew this is where we would be…fighting in the championship. What I didn't know is how the boys would step outside their comfort zone whether it was playing a new position, or skating through injuries –they saw this tournament through from start to finish. Each player contributed great things. The boys earned their gold…plain and simple. It’s a terrific way to end the season.”.