Well, that
was a tough one…
Our Shannon Deckers of Remax Novice
C Ice Hawks just competed in the
Caitlyn Cobeen Silver Stick tournament and had a
tough loss in the Finals to what was otherwise a very impressive weekend.
These girls have been on a roll this season and literally had this date circled
on their calendars. The team’s two earlier tournaments both ended with
losses in the Championship game – and they had all worked very hard to be ready
for this one.
The schedule kicked off Friday afternoon vs. Kincardine – a team we’ve played 7 times this season with a 6-0-1 record. The last few games were very close, but our girls certainly showed up for this one – with a strong 5-0 win. The next two games were with teams we haven’t faced this season – TCD and North Middlesex, ending with 8-0 and 3-0 wins respectively. These results put us in top spot and drew a semi-final game with North Middlesex. Despite the early morning, the girls were ready, and put up a 7-0 win for another trip to the Final. Over 4 games, we had 23 Goals For, 0 Goals Against, and had only given up 6 shots. Needless to say, everyone was optimistic going into the Championship game.
But, if you know how a game will end, there would be no reason to play it. We took a 1-0 lead out of the 1st period, but the Kincardine team fought back and tied it up. The 3rd period ended at 1-1, went to 3-on-3 overtime and we lost.
It was a heartbreaker, but there is a lesson in every loss and we certainly learned one here. In our first tournament, we ran into an exceptional team and learned how important it is to play positions. For our second tournament we played up at a B division, which we expected would challenge our kids – they went 4-1 and learned that we could compete with any team. On Sunday, we learned that the biggest games are the hardest to win.
As a hockey fan, you have to be happy for the Kincardine kids. They came into a big game with their biggest effort and beat a team that was favored to win. This sport isn’t always about who is the fastest skater or has the hardest shot – it can be about which team pulls together and doesn’t give up.
As a coach and a parent, it was tough pill to swallow. This is an amazing group of players and they have been so close so many times that they deserve to come out on the other side. But, as disappointing as the result was, it was just as encouraging to see how these kids responded. Every player came together at the end to support their teammates – then gracefully accepted their medals and congratulated the winning team. Our game MVP gave her award to another player to cheer her up – who then gave it to another player to do the same.
If at the start of the season you would have told me we would be 21-5-1 with 3 Finalist medals, I wouldn’t have believed it. At this point in the season, knowing the character of our kids and watching them develop as hockey players – there is only upside from here.
Next one is ours girls!