Jan 10, 2016 | Tyard | 806 views
Muskoka Parry Sound Champions!
This past weekend was the annual Muskoka Parry Sound Championship held at the Bobby Orr Arena in Parry Sound.
It was a hard fought series of games where each team played a role in the eventual outcome and nobody was shut out of the win column.
The Progressive Waste Solutions South Muskoka Bears have had a tumultuous season filled with drama, injuries, player loss, call-ups and acquisitions. This MPS Tournament signalled the beginning of the second 1/2 and most meaningful part of the season with the team roster finally secure.
The Bears began Friday night with a great 4-3 win against host team Parry Sound. The Shamrocks had beaten the Bears in their most recent outings so this one was sweet revenge.
The second game was VS the Huntsville Otters who based on their season record, were clearly the tournament odds-on favourite. True to this reputation, the Otters handled the Bears convincingly delivering a 6-2 loss. Despite the loss, there were glimpses of positive play so there was some insight gained from this learning experience.
The 3rd game in the round robin was do-or-die for the Bears. If they didn't beat Haliburton, they would not advance to the final. It was a see-saw affair that went into overtime. Finally, the Bears pulled it out just before the 3-on-3 portion ended. This win set up a rematch in the tournament final with Huntsville. It would also be the 3rd game in a single day for both teams!
This chance at redemption was tempered by the knowledge that Huntsville has been very strong against us and the boys knew they'd need their best game of the tourney to win. Wow... did they ever bring it! The Bears smothered the vaunted Huntsville offensive attack, our goaltending held us in with some critical saves and the Bears finished up with a very strong 6-4 win!
It been a season full of adjustments and juggling with injuries and player losses but it's a credit to the team that they have found a way to play that can give them the results they want. This game and the MPS Tourney hopefully instilled the belief needed to get past that same Huntsville Team in the 1st round of playoffs.