Blackhawks earn a win and a shutout for their goalie against our Wolfpack, News, Midget LL2, U18, 2017-2018 (Paris Minor Hockey)

This Team is part of the 2017-2018 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Dec 10, 2017 | midget2 | 259 views
Blackhawks earn a win and a shutout for their goalie against our Wolfpack
Saturday morning our team held a 10am practice and our coaches’ focus was to work on our offensive game, as our goal ratio is not where we feel that it should be with this talented group of players.  We will be having a big game, later in the afternoon, against the second place Six Nations Blackhawks so we needed some time to prepare and adjust, for the better, in our way of playing.

Our drills focused on pushing our team to press harder to get the puck in our opponent’s zone and to hold it in their zone to gain some better scoring chances.  We emphasised on the importance of taking shots, explaining the obvious that our team cannot win games without goals.

The drills forced our players to get closer to the net, explained the urgency of taking more shots and demonstrated how slap shots are easier for deflections, gain rebounds and put simply .. to beat a goalie.  With the amount of whistles our coaches blew, you would have thought there was a game going on, but we needed to stop our drills to better position our players and provide constructive feedback with the purpose of improving our players play and our team’s game plan.

Before our game, our coaching staff discussed lines and noted the number of players who were missing from the day’s lineup, including, for the first time, our Captain.  So I challenged all of our players to step up and I threw out the question, ‘who will be our team’s leader this game?’  In response there were many shaking heads and fist pumps in agreeance, letting me know they accepted our challenge.

The Blackhawks started the game demonstrating their skill, making it clear why they are at the top of the league standings as they had a good control of the game, their players had speed, passing control and lethal, sharp shots.  We noted a handful of players who could easily be playing AAA hockey.

Big props to our goaltender Ethan for standing up to these shots with a few that landed on his helmet and other vulnerable areas with less equipment protection; although, very sore he was spared from a broken shoulder, as proven by an x-ray.

After our first period, our team was down by two goals, before our return to the face-off circle, we instructed our players to mark up with opposing players and, at all costs, to not let their no. 2 player, with the blue helmet and gloves, to not get any shots off.  Before we could start the second period there was a delay as we learned the timekeeper was not feeling well and needed a minute, she would eventually be replaced with another timekeeper who would finish the game, on her behalf. 

During this delay Shawn yelled out to the ref, jokingly, does the Blackhawks want to forfeit the game?

Our players made a great effort in the second period of wading off shots by knocking the puck off from many opposing players’ sticks before they could set up to shoot or at least they deflected incoming shots, sending them high in the air and not directly on our net.  Unfortunately, the Blackhawks were too much to contend with and they earned four goals in the second period.

At our second intermission, knowing our players were down on their luck and feeling deflated, I told them to forget about the score, don’t focus on the outcome of this game, we know the inevitable.  So don’t get down on yourselves, let’s just play our game and set out to play our personal best.

The third period turned out to have some of our best plays of the game as we witnessed some great scoring chances by many of our forward and defensive players, who were not showing signs of giving up.  Including a rush from our speedy defenceman Campbell who was so fast that even our own players couldn’t get out of his way as Campbell was seen literally climbing over Owen in a race to our opponents’ zone.  I must admit it was a comical scene; however, Campbell was not seen smiling when he returned to our bench.

As the final 2 minutes of the game were inching to the end we asked for a water break which the ref passed off but offered to run the clock of the game, as our players were showing signs of exhaustion and we wanted to finish the game with no further injuries.

In the dressing room, the coaching staff told our players they played well and that this team was just too much for us; however, we want have to worry about facing in the second half of the season as they will be in the top team pool.

With the game behind us, coaches and players had a new focus ... Burger Barn!!!  when dinner came many of us forgot about the game until I cleared my plate and then I remembered the score of 8-0 so I had to order the beaver tail desert with ice cream to bury my sorrow in.

Moving forward our next game will be in Port Dover on Monday at 8pm where our team will regroup and will promise to have a better outcome.  Equally as important the question will be where will we eat next ... Callahans’s Beach House?

Go Wolfpack!