A tremendously fantastic weekend had by all. After narrowly missing the championship game last year, the minor atoms looked to take care of unfinished business this year. Starting the tournament with a convincing 8-0 win over the Bluewater Sharks, the minor atom Ice Sharks then beat Pro-Tips by a score of 4-1, definitely their most undisciplined game of the tournament. Next up was Pro Hockey who brought somewhat of a physical presence to the game which caught the Ice Sharks a little off guard. Trailing 7-3 in the 3rd, the Ice Sharks however, would not give up and played to an exciting finish eventually losing by a score of 7-6. The next round robin game would turn out to be the most physical game of the tournament for the Ice Sharks as they found themselves battling the host North Shore Hitmen team. Being beaten earlier in the day did not sit well with the team however, and they battled relentlessly securing a 7-4 win and a berth in the semi-finals.
Having to play the 1st place team from the opposite pool seemed to be enough reason for the Ice Sharks as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead and battled for the rest of the game, winning by a score of 6-4. This put the team in the championship game against the only unbeaten team, Pro-Hockey. Although the game was always close, the Ice Sharks would never find themselves trailing and would eventually win the spirited affair by a score of 5-3. All aspects of the Ice Sharks’ game seemed to gain momentum as the week-end wore on, the relentless fore check of the forwards, the punishing play of the defense and the stalwart goaltending of the net minders. This is the first tournament championship for the young Maitland Ice Shark Organization and if the steep learning curve continues for the minor atom team, it promises to be an exciting spring because “That’s the way we roll!”