Jan 18, 2016 | dmarling | 1187 views
CALVACADE FORD BANTAM BEARS SIZZLE IN HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT ACTION
Submitted by Mary Lyndon:
The Calvacade Ford Bantam Bears trekked to Cambridge, Ontario between Christmas and New Years for some strong pre-playoff competition. Five games over four days provided South Muskoka with exactly what they came for - good hockey......
Game 1 had the boys facing off against the Hespeler Shamrocks. A fast paced game from start to finish, South Muskoka owned this game as Conor Quemby scored midway through this period. Minutes later defenseman Jack Lyndon secured a second goal to secure a strong advantage. Unfortunately, the Shamrocks got lucky and scored two back to back goals tying this game. Final score was 2-2.
Brad Webb stood tall in net.
Game 2 had the Bears dropping the puck against the Credit Valley Wolves.
Another game chock full of intensity, the Bears saw loads of end to end action.
With the first and second periods ending scoreless, the Wolves were a strong team who spend a good amount of time in the sin bin.
Finally, Keegan Mitchell snaked his way around the net and squeaked a goal to give the Bears some breathing room. The clock ticked on and finally this game came to a close with a 1-0 victory. Preston Huntbach secured the shutout.
Game 3 had the Bears skating against the tournament favoured Kitchener Jr Rangers. The Rangers had been undefeated up to this point and seemed sure of their tournament sweep.
They were in for a big surprise.
South Muskoka hit the ice ready for full blown combat. Everything about the Bears had them playing with an intensity that they had just discovered. While the Rangers hit the net first, the Bears retaliated with the sweetest revenge...Joel Antonides and Cole Ruddell each sniped a goal to give the Bears a much needed lead.
The Rangers heads were still spinning as the clock ticked down. This upset came to a close as the Bears took first place in the loop and now advanced to the semi finals.
Game 4 brought with it yet another dog fight of a game. No blow outs in this tournament...each game was won by a goal and no more.
Playing Credit Valley again the Wolves came seeking revenge. This game of cat and mouse carried on again from beginning to end. With the echoes of the ting from rubber hitting metal, the Bears could not buy a goal. Finallly, Quemby popped in a goal to give the Bears the advantage. Again this game went right to the bitter last seconds and finally South Muskoka skated off winners of the semi finals , now advancing to the championship.
Game 5 was another impressive game showcasing South Muskoka's ability to dig deep, pull together , skate like the wind and hit with fearless determination. First to hit the net, South Muskoka was playing like possessed demons. An unfortunate penalty from the Bears gave the Rangers a power play advantage in which they scored to tie the game.
With less than 2 minutes remaining in the period, another Bear penalty gave the Rangers yet another power play advantage. They managed to wear South Muskoka down, scored another goal to take the lead.
The Bears hustled and did all the right things but could not recover. They slowly ran out of steam but played an outstanding game worthy of mentioning.
Final score was 2-1.
And so, the boys bring home silver but also a sense of accomplishment as they stepped up their game. Preston Huntbach minded net and did a fabulous job shutting down his crease.
Next up for the boys will be MPS plays downs Jan. 9th in Port Carling. 12pm & 6pm game times.