On Sat. November 4th, 2017 the Norstar South
Muskoka Bears hosted the Collingwood Blackhawks in Novice Rep action. They were a tough opponent and despite the
Bears’ valiant effort, the Coyotes took that game 15 – 2.
Not letting that game get them down, on
Sun. Nov. 5th, the team travelled to Elmvale to face the
Coyotes. The last time the teams faced
each other, Elmvale took the game 11 – 3.
Could the team do better this
game?
The first period saw some fast hockey. Lincoln W. got control of the puck from the
opening face off to gain possession but Elmvale was clearly on the
offensive. Our defensive lines sprang
into action, making the Coyotes work for it.
Wyatt G. was working hard protecting net. He made some great blocks at the blue line, sending it back in to the Coyotes end to keep the puck in play. However, just six minutes in, the Coyotes opened the scoring. Then, a minute later, they scored again to up their lead by two. Our offensive lines kicked into gear as Evan A. had a solid breakaway from centre, gunning right for the net where he flung a backhander on net. Jack McG. followed suit with an identical breakaway from our blue line and swooped in to take another solid shot on net. Hudson W. was aggressive this period; he was strong offensively and pushed back the Coyotes at every turn. Unfortunately, the Coyotes weren’t taking that lying down and responded, with only three minutes left to play, by scoring their third goal of the game. 40 seconds later they followed suit and scored another one to up their lead to 4. Our Bears didn’t give up and in the last few seconds of play, Grayson C. got another breakaway, flying up the ice to create a strong scoring opportunity. With this final attempt, the first period was over and the Coyotes were in the lead 4 – 0.
Second period action resumed with Kye D. still in net. Evan A. was on the offensive again and took a solid shot from the sideboards and just missed dumping it in the net. Tough break, for sure. The defensive duo of Graydon Z. and Jack G. were impressive in this period, not giving an inch and being where they needed to be. They fought for the puck when in our end and kept the puck in Coyote territory to keep the lead from widening. Kye D. made a fantastic save ½ way through the period to keep the Coyotes from advancing even further. Joshua D. chipped it down the boards, where it was picked up by Grayson C., who had another breakaway and tried to slam it in. Corbin H. took over goal midway through the period and made some great saves to keep the Coyotes from advancing. With only 1:42 left to play, Joshua D. stole the puck from a wandering Coyote in front of our net, made a great pass to Oliver A. who carried it up the ice and then passed to Grayson C., who flew down the ice and belted in our first goal of the day, to place us on the scoreboard. Those last two minutes of the period saw the Bears turn up the heat; Jack McG and Phenix C. had some instrumental shots on net and Corbin H. made a fantastic save with just seconds left in the period to keep the Coyotes at bay! Kudos to Kye D. and Corbin H., our goalies, for having an awesome period to shut out the Coyotes. The second period ended with the score at 4 – 1.
The third period started off with Corbin H., making a great save on a highflying shot on net. Charlie D. followed up with a solid interception in front of our net to chip it out of the danger zone. Much of the next few minutes saw great defense in our end, with everyone pitching in to protect the net. Wyatt G., Grayden Z., Jack G. and also Phenix C. and Lincoln W. were chasing the puck down and aggressively trying to get the puck out. Once play resumed in their end, Grayson C. intercepted the puck and made a solid pass to Oliver A., who in turn passed it to Hudson W., who was perfectly placed to make a fabulous shot on net, which he did. At the last second, Oliver A., in front of the net, redirected the puck and tipped it in, to get our second goal of the game at 8:58. This last play exhibited great teamwork! It seemed like the team was finally closing the gap. Jack McG. flanked by Grayson C. made another great shot on net. But the Coyotes followed suit and got another goal to up the score to 5 – 2. Play remained intense for the next minutes of the game with each side battling it out. Finally, at 1:53, the Coyotes scored again and then with only 14 seconds left in the game, scored their final goal to end the game 7-2.
At the end of this game, while the score wasn’t in our favour, the team should be very proud of themselves. They fought a very hard game and exhibited great teamwork. They were passing more and strategically thinking about their plays. The defensive lines had a lot of pressure this game and the whole team responded to help. They didn’t give up, they kept playing hard especially in the end when the score was mounting, which is a tough thing to do. Also, when looking back to Game #1 against the Coyotes, it is evident how much the team has improved in just a few short months. And, it was a great game to watch!