Feb 02, 2014 | Brian Wightman | 914 views
Gold in Orangeville
The Blyth Brussels Crusaders Bantam B girls hockey team headed into their second tournament of the year focused on playing for and winning a championship.
Game 1 was against a West Grey team that most of our girls were familiar with from past years even though the teams play in separate leagues this year. The game started well with the Crusaders having sustained pressure in the opposition zone for long periods of time. The first eight minutes of the game was spent with tremendous Crusader pressure that resulted in no goals. West Grey got a break in the final two minutes of the first frame and made no mistake in netting the game's first goal. That seemed to sap the energy from our team and they could get nothing going the rest of the way and lost the opener 2-0.
Game 2 was with our new Bantam B West division rivals, the Woolwich Wild. The 22 game regular season ended with the Wild posting a league best 37 points to our second place finish of 33 points. This game was a must win to salvage any hope of advancing. This was a tight checking game with few chances to score. Finally, a breakthrough in the final two minutes of the second period, when captain Haley Bowman found the back of the net with assists going to Larisa Shea and Sarah Mitchell. The game was iced with a goal midway through the third by Sydney Michie with the assist going to Bowman. The game ended 2-0 with another stellar performance in net for the shutout by Chasity Caesar. The first win of the year over Woolwich gave the team new life in the tournament.
Game 3 was with a very familiar foe in the Mount Forest Rams. The team opened the scoring on the second shift of the game on a goal by Michie from Sydney Wightman and Kailey Wheeler. The Rams would reply before the end of the first. At the break between periods, coach Kendall Whitfield reminded the team what was at stake and that more determined effort was required. Message received. Less than 3 minutes into the third the girls owned a 3-1 lead. Samantha Kerr scored an unassisted goal followed by another goal from Michie with an assist to Wightman. Kerr would score another, eight seconds into the third by rifling a wrist shot into the top of the net, with Shea getting the assist after a determined effort to move the puck forward from the opening faceoff. The gritty Rams rounded out the scoring. Final was 4-2 Crusaders.
Game 4 for the Gold medal was a chance to play the West Grey team again in the Sunday finale. Coaches Whitfield and Tyson Cavell laid out the game plan in the room and with the warm up complete it was game time. What followed was the worst possible start, with West Grey scoring on the second shift of the game. With the first game loss fresh in their minds the girls kept their focus and continued to play with determination. That was rewarded with the equalizer by Bowman right from a face off in the offensive zone in the final minutes of the first. Bowman fired a wrist shot into the top of the net from a sharp angle with the assists going to Sarah Strome and Shelby Higgins.
The tight checking would continue through the remainder of regulation. Caesar was called on several times to make some key saves. Regulation time would end with the teams knotted at one. A five minute overtime with the teams playing four aside would be required. On the second shift of overtime the Crusaders were able to sustain some pressure and a wild scramble would ensue with Higgins and Wightman both being denied before Wheeler would corral the loose puck and net the winner past the sprawled goalie ! Sudden Victory !
The entire 14 player roster was full value for the Gold Medal win. The other members of the squad include Victoria Meinen, Mackenzie Tiffin, Jasmine Vader and Morgan Howson.