The 04's were in Sarnia this past weekend for the Bluewater Sharks Tournament. Championship Sunday ranked up there as one of the best days of hockey that this group of kids, parents, and coaches were ever involved in. It capped off an extremely succesful season for these kids, as they went 18-6-2, with 2 golds, and 2 silvers in 4 tournaments.
Going into this tournament, I have to say, I had some doubt about our chances. Their was a team in our pool called the Detroit Stars (who the week before the tournament changed their name to Honeybaked). Through some hockey connections I had heard of Honeybaked before. After doing some research, I found out they played in some very Elite spring tournaments, winning one and losing in the final of another. They are a group of kids that tryout from 5 cities in the Detroit area and play together for an entire 12 month. This was the team we faced first on Friday morning. We played with them for the first 5 minutes of the game, before they scored 4 quick ones by the end of the first period. As we were amazed at some of the skill they possessed we seemed to sit back and watch as they went on to crush us 11-1. We also found out that one of our key players was playing with a broken arm, from a soccer injury the night before. Although he was out the remainder of the tournament Lawsy was on the bench, and a great motivator for the boys the rest of the way!
The remainder of the round robin we faced teams we were familiar with, but we knew we had to play Sharks hockey to battle our way to the semi final. This tournament uses a point system with 5 points being available each game. (1 point for winning a period, 2 for winning the game). Needless to say we had 0 points after our first game. Our second game on Friday was against Southwest White. In this game we got things back in focus, and came out with a 9-3 win and 4 out of 5 points. Next up was the Bluewater Sharks, a team we had played 3 times this spring, and we knew they would come to play in their own tournament. After each playing 2 games, they had a 9 point to 4 advantage on us going into this game. We knew we had to win. It was scoreless after 1, Bluewater scored first with 3:05 remaining in the 2nd, but we bounced right back to tie it up 14 secs later. 1-1 and 1 point each going into the 3rd period. At 11:05 of the 3rd we scored what would be the winner in a great hockey game. This gave us 4 points out of 5. That left Bluewater ahead of us 10-8 in points going into the last round robin game. The advantage we had was they had to face Honeybaked, and we played Stratford HTA. The final round robin game on Saturday was not until 8:00pm, which turned out to be 8:30. After a day of mini sticks and swimming, this made this game a challenge to say the least. The wheels were falling off even before we went on the ice. By this point we did know that Honeybaked had beat Bluewater, and we just needed to win to get in the semi. We battled through a sick goalie, and a group of exhausted kids to come up with a 6-2 win to put us in to the semi on Sunday.
Championship Sunday! I think in everyone's mind (except for maybe the kids) the semi final was the Silver Medal game. We were up against, what has become our rival, Southwest Blue. Another group of talented well coach kids, that were defending champions going into this tournament. Southwest beat us 2-1 in Stratford in the gold medal game, we wanted this one bad! This was an exciting back and forth battle from the drop of the puck. Southwest would strike first at 8:49 of the opening period, but our kids kept their chins up and started working harder. Earlier in the season the kids would get down when they got behind in a big game, but we have stressed to them to control their emotion and work harder. By the end of one we had gained a 2-1 lead. SW would even it up only 8 secs in to the second, but the Sharks answered at the 8 min mark to take a 3-2 lead to the 3rd. A SW team that never gives up scored 2 early in the 3rd to go up 4-3. Again there was no panic, as we tied it up just 21 secs later. With 4:49 remaining we got the lead that we were not going to give up. SW, not being in this situation very often, started to panic, taking 2 late penalties. We played a solid final 4 minutes at both ends of the ice and were headed for our 4th gold medal game in 4 tournaments.
To no surprise we would face Honeybaked in the final. Going in the kids were relaxed, they had their gold from Collingwood, they knew they were getting another medal, and they were on a high from beating SW. In the pre-game chat I told the kids we had 2 advantages, one, we beat Bluewater last Sunday 7-1, and Honeybaked only beat them Saturday night 5-1. Second, they are in that dressing room thinking that they have won the gold already, because they beat us 11-1. We just wanted them to go out work hard and make it respectable. Well the boys had something else in mind! The first 5 minutes went by with a few chances either way but no scoring. HB would tally first and take a 1-0 lead into the second period. We were matching them stride for stride, shift after shift. We stressed to our D to stay back and not give up any breakaways. Midway through the 2nd we tied it at 1, and with 3:30 remaining in the 2nd we took a 2-1 lead. Now the boys really started to believe it could happen. With the score 2-1 going into the 3rd, the boys stepped it up another notch. They back checked, they shot the puck in deep, the D stayed back, and our goaltending was outstanding. We missed on two breakaways, before we capitalized on the third to make it 3-1 with under 3 minutes to go. HB pulled their goalie and got one back with 27 secs remaining, but the Canadian boys would not be out done by the Americans on this day, as we captured BACK to BACK GOLD'S in a 3-2 victory!
In what was already a VERY successful spring going into to that final game, beating an Elite group like that turned it in to a season of hockey that our 2004 ICE SHARK FAMILY will never forget! CONGRATULATION BOYS! You are an amazing group of kids to be involved with. Someday you will understand what you pulled off on Championship Sunday June 3rd 2012!
Parents, this is your championship too! Thank you for the constant support you give us in the way we coach these kids. We ultimately have created a group of kids that really just want to play that next mini stick game or go swimming with their Shark buddies. Along the way they will work hard, do their best and win a few hockey games each weekend, if they have too! That's what it is really all about. Congratulations, it was an awesome ride. 10 1/2 months until it starts again. Enjoy your summer.