NorStar Novice Bears Take MPS Title In Total Team Effort, News, NorStar Novice Rep, U9 (2012), 2015-2016 (South Muskoka Minor Hockey Association)

This Team is part of the 2015-2016 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Jan 19, 2016 | bdavidson | 1364 views
NorStar Novice Bears Take MPS Title In Total Team Effort
Having spent the middle part of the season in a month and half long slump, the NorStar Novice Bears entered the season ending MPS tournament looking to make a statement.  Their play over the last month had grown stronger with each game and they knew if they continued to worked together they would be able to send a message to the league before the start of OMHA playdowns.  Well what a message the team sent, going 5-0 to sweep the tournament and outscoring their opposition 22-7.  Up until the final second they proved every game that there was no better way to describe their play other than "team tough".  After the final buzzer of game five though they can now be described as champions.

 Game one started early Saturday in Haliburton against the hometown Storm.  The Bears were first on the board when T. Jennings hooked up C. Carlson for the opening goal of the tournament.  The second period had the team starting to shake off the grogginess of an hr and a half drive through bad weather at 6:30am.  They were able to find the back of the net two more times as C. Carlson netted his 2nd of the game and L. Downer went top shelf for her first.  They took a 3-1 lead into the third period and the flood gates opened seeing the Bears net five more before the end of the game. B. MacKinnon set up J. Chambers while P. Boyde found G. Cardwell and the D-man mad no mistake netting his third of the year.  Hard work form C. Carlson and P. Boyde saw the puck get to J. Jennings and he bulged the twine with a sharp wrister.  W. Davidson just missed a backhander but recovered her rebound and threw a cross ice pass to a pinching E. Gliddon.  The smooth skating rearguard fired home his first goal of the season.  Captain C. Walker made it 4 straight goals from the back end as he took a E. Brown offering and put a bullet just under the bar.  The third period also saw T. Babcock make what might be the save of the season, driving across his crease and using his head to turn back a sure goal from the Storm. Game one came to an end with a final score of 8-1

  Game two had the Bears facing their Hwy 11 rivals to the north and regular season champions the Huntsville Otters.  The Otters had just beat the Bears in two straight games the previous weeks and made no secret they planned on making it three.  C. Walker opened the scoring as he jumped on a puck chipped out of the zone by P. Boyde and went coast to coast burying his second of the tournament over the Otters goalie glove hand.  The Otters responded within a minute and the first period ended with the score knotted at 1.  Less than a minute into the second period C. Carlson won a clear draw to J. Jennings who put a shot on the net that was deflected by grinder W. Davidson past the netminder to give the Bears the lead.  4 minutes later C. Carlson netted his third goal in 4 periods of play when J. Jennings and B. Clayton got the biscuit to the little spark plug and the Bears were up 3-1.  The Otters were not going to roll over and they added a late one before the period was over.  Both teams played a hard third period with the Bears looking for insurance and the Otters looking to tie up the game.  Big E. Guthrie would shut the door tight though turning aside every shot in the final frame.  The game ended the opposite of their last match up with this one in favour of the Bears 3-2.

  Game three of the day saw the Bears down 2 players with the absence of Davidson and Mackinnon because of family and illness.  C. Imrie got the call from Coach Boyde to join the squad and his fresh legs helped the team get their third straight win of the day over the Muskoka Rock.  Defensemen C. Walker and E. Gliddon joined up on the first goal and C. Carlson ended a remarkable day by potting his fourth that proved to be the winner.  T. Babcock was close to being almost perfect again for the second time in the day allowing just the one over the line. He stood on his head and came up big in the final five minutes with the Rock pressing and firing a barrage of rubber at the net and helped guarantee the team a spot in the A finals.

  Sunday brought a new day and a chance to take the crown.  Before the team could think of a possible championship though they had to get by the rough and tumble team from Parry Sound.  Knowing how important this day was and what a fight it would be W. Davidson brought out the war paint for the squad and each member displayed the black, white and red stripes across their cheeks.  Like warriors they played.  C. Walker took a puck from his own end and made like Erik Karlsson weaving his way around all the Shamrocks to open the scoring midway through the first period.  L. Downer fired one home on some fancy puck play between T. Jennings and P. Boyde a minute into the second and added another four minutes later when W. Davidson stole the puck in the neutral zone and got it to C. Walker who fed the sharp shooter.  The Shamrocks played hard and added one before the horn sounded to end the second period but T. Babcock was again on the top of his game denying them of getting them back into this one.  Big winger J. Chambers broke loose and added two insurance markers with Downer, Cardwell and Carlson assisting in the third.  This would cement the teams fourth straight victory and set the tone for the final re-match against the confident Otters from Huntsville.

  The fifth game in less than 36 hours would determine who would win the league trophy between the top two teams.  The Bears came out a little sluggish and some sloppy play allowed the Otters to open the scoring early in the first period.  Some regrouping before the start of the second gave the Bears a second wind.  E. Brown tied it up midway through the game when his shot off a C. Carlson rebound found its way under the goalies pad.  J. Chambers took a feed from first time winger B. Mackinnon and went short side to give the Bears their first lead of the game.  This was a lead these bears would not be relinquishing.  Twenty seconds later L. Downer used her speed to jump on a loose puck and go in all alone making no mistake in adding a third tally to the scoreboard.  After two periods the Bears had the lead over the Otters 3-1.  The third period was a tense and stressful time for the Bears cheering section in the stands but L. Downer added some relief.  The natural goal scorer gave the team a 3 goal lead, lighting the lamp with her second of the game with J. Chambers and B. MacKinnon assisting at the 6 minute mark of the third.  The Otters pride was on display as they battled the Bears every shift and brought themselves to within 2 with just under three minutes to play.  This gave the Otters some momentum but E. Guthrie would have none of it turning aside everything else shot his way.  That was until the leagues leading scorer broke free and looked like he would bring his team to within one if not for the back check of the weekend from J. Chambers who stole the for sure goal from him on the doorstep, knocked him down and cleared it up the boards.  As the final seconds wound down the bench erupted in cheers of joy and the team piled on their goalie in celebration.

  When they were done with the cheering both teams lined up on their bluelines and Captain C. Walker was called forward to accept the Novice Rep MPS A Division Championship trophy.  The team gathered around for pictures and knew the reason behind this victory was the same as the four before, total teamwork.  Now the plan is to carry this lesson and momentum into playdowns with the first game coming this Saturday in Gravnehurst against the Haliburton Storm.   

 

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