With the Christmas break fast approaching the NorStar Novice Bears began the weekend with the first two of five games in eight days. The Elmvale Coyotes and the Flames from Penetang were this weeks opponents in bear country and these bears were hungry for a win.
On Saturday Elmvale came out strong with 3 goals in the first 5 minutes before B. MacKinnon found the back of the net as a result from some nifty passing from linemmates B. Clayton and J. Chambers. The Coyotes would add another tally before Coach Boyde shook things up by switching the goalies. E. Guthrie took over between the pipes and made some quick saves. The Bears showed some new spark as this game was long from over.
Answering the awakening was C. Walker who took a feed from L. Downer and made no mistake burying his first goal of the day. The captain did not slow down in the second and neither did the team as the Bears forechecked hard and took the play to the Coyotes throughout the frame. Some quick passing from L. Downer and P. Boyde was able to allow C. Walker to send home his second goal of the game and bring the Bears back to within one.
The 3rd period was as back and forth as the first two with both the Coyotes and Bears trading goals and saw C. Walker get the hat trick and L. Downer pick up her 3rd assist of the game. As hard as the Bears fought an empty net goal with 46 seconds left sealed their fate and saw a 6-4 loss.
Sunday brought a new day and a fresh hunger to find the win column after a couple of weeks of consistently knocking at the door and the scores not reflecting the effort being put forward by the players. The Bears were due and today would not be denied. The game started fast and saw C. Walker pot his fourth straight goal just 36 seconds into the game. The Flames were not going to go down without a fight and answered with 2 of their own before the period was over.
Whatever the coaches said between periods one and two definitely worked. The law firm of Downer, Walker, and Davidson kept up their strong play and tape to tape passing from Saturday tying the game with a top shelf wrister off the stick of #3. The team didn't look back from there taking the play to the Flames over and over. Any time the puck entered the Bears zone E. Gliddon and E. Brown cleared or rushed it right out and T.J Babcock robbed two Flames with his quick glove and swift feet. The period ended with the teams even at 2-2.
Entering the third period the Bears learned that if you continue to work hard, eventually no matter what, you see it begin to pay off. B. Mackinnon had five minutes to remember scoring a natural hat trick with J. Chamber setting up all three goals after the pucks were kept in by G. Cardwell and J. Jennings. The Bears were now up 5-3 but there would be no resting or holding back. Some good offensive digging by P. Boyde and C. Carlson saw the puck get to T. Jennings who extended the lead with three minutes to go. The Flames countered with one goal late but today was to be the Bears day.
Next on the schedule is the Muskoka Rock on Friday night in Bracebridge followed by a double header in Haliburton Saturday. With the taste of victory now in their mouths, the Bears will be hoping for a second feeding.