Mar 26, 2013 | Ccowan | 1631 views
Started With 13, Now They Are 1
Last September, when the Strathroy Novice Rep team was selected, it was obvious they were a special group of 13 individuals with the potential to become a great team. At season’s end now, 6 months later, it is truly amazing to have seen this group come together as 1.
The coaching staff only asked for 3 things each practice and game; Effort, Effort and more Effort. The boys gave exactly that and soon began working hard for each other. They started to believe that ‘the name on the front of the jersey was more important than the name on the back’. Before long, they developed an identity as a fast skating, high-pressure team that worked together and really moved the puck around. They consistently played with determination and heart and had a ‘never give up’ attitude, which made them a very tough team to play against.
The Jr. Rockets went on to post an impressive league record of 19-2-1, finishing 1st in the Shamrock Central Division. Along the way, they got Bronze in the Strathroy Rep Olympic Tournament, won Silver at the Golden Puck Tournament in Port Colborne, proved they could compete with 'A' center teams at A/BB Regional Silver Stick, and earned Gold at the Warrior Tournament in St. Catherines.
The Rockets completed their season playing in the BB West OMHA Playdowns. Here, they won 11 straight games in Round Robin and Semi Final play, before advancing to the Finals against a very strong team from Tillsonburg.
In Game 1 of the Final Series, Strathroy’s great goaltending gave them a chance to win but they came up a little short and were handed a 5-3 defeat.
In Game 2, the Rockets played their game with a lot of energy and battled hard throughout. This one could have easily gone either way. The Rockets couldn't seem to get any bounces going their way though and lost 5-2.
Facing elimination in Game 3, in front of a huge crowd at the Gemini, the boys gave everything they had and more. It was a real barnburner, as the play went back and forth all game long. In the end, Tillsonburg came out on top with an 8-7 win.
After the game, the Rockets kept their spirits up and congratulated the Tillsonburg team for their part in an excellent Championship Series. The boys did not hang their heads, they were not down on themselves or each other, and they had no regrets, because they all knew they had given everything they could have for each other. They were proud of themselves and their teammates and rightly so. Over the past 6 months, they had grown from a group of 13 talented individuals into 1 team. An amazing team that played great together all season long and deservedly earned the title of BB West OMHA Finalists.
- Written by Kyle Cowan