Novices show grit in championship

March 4, 2014 · 0 Comments

The Schomberg LL Novice 2 Red Wings showed grit and determination, turning in a solid effort in the playoff championship.
This is a feisty group of 7/8 year olds, with a lot of help from their 6-year-old APs. Some players laced up skates for the first time ever!
The team lost, tied and won two games between October 2013 and February 2014. Even with a couple of wins under their belt, they still sat in last place.
On Feb. 8, they began our first round of the Simcoe Region Local League playoffs.
They lost that first game 9-7 against Lefroy, but were excited that they scored seven goals in one game. Losing was old hat to them.
In game two, they rallied their fans to come watch them the Trisan Centre. There were bells, horns and cheers. The team won that game, 4-3.
They lost the next game in Lefroy, but beat them again at home the game after, tying the playoff series at 2-2.
They didn’t even think about winning the next game. In this team’s eyes, they had won, simply by giving Lefroy a serious run for their money. It was clear Lefroy (ranked the top team of group 2 by the end of the season) was getting nervous.
They played hard and pulled out all the stops, but the Schomberg novices rose above and won game five in Lefroy! They had won that first round of playoffs in their hometown. Victory was theirs!
Full of excitement and energy, the team had to come home to host the annual Schomberg Local League Red & White tournament on Family Day. Team members cooked, cleaned, fundraised and played hard.
There were eight teams from all over southern Ontario at this tournament.
The novices lost their first game to Oakville. They played well given the size and strategy of those kids and the locals were okay with it.
In game two, Schomberg played Bradford 2 – the second highest ranked team in the league.
You can imagine our touch of intimidation when the locals first took to the ice. But you could never imagine how they felt when the game ended in a tie!
The locals faced its first-ever shootout! The novice goalie stood on his head and didn’t let in any of the three goals. Their goalie wasn’t as lucky and Schomberg won 5-4! They were excited that they defeated the second highest team! The smiles couldn’t be any bigger. After a season of tough losses, they were on our way to the Red & White “B” Championships!
O’Canada played at the start of the game as we stood at attention and got ready to play the number 1 ranked team in the League, Bradford 1.
In regular season play, these two very skilled Bradford teams beat Schomberg upwards of 9-1 every time they met.
By the end of the first period of the championship game, Schomberg was trailing 1-0. By the end of the second period, it was all tied it up at 2-2.
Bradford ended up winning that game 5-2 in the end, but Schomberg won the hearts of their fans, the thrill of the game and the “B” finalists trophy! The little engine that could, did.
Parents, coaches and supporters are all so proud of this team!