The final round of the “A” division series is on! It’s a battle between the top 2 teams in the Lambton-Middlesex Novice Minor Hockey League and it happens to be
DRAGONS vs
DRAGONS! This is what Dorchester hockey is all about.
The players all arrive early and spent some fun time in the dressing room. The DRAGONS playlist was blaring and the kids were really pumped up. It’s time to get serious now though; the tunes are turned off, the parents are shooed from the room and Coach Tom takes center stage. After encouraging words, the kids all gather in the centre of the humid and stinky dressing room for their pre-game cheer. 1-2-3 DRAGONS!
As we head out to the ice we encounter the other team, DRAGONS LL1, in the hallways. Knowing they are playing against each other for the championship seems to mean nothing to any of them. There are no signs of “enemy” behaviour but only smiles and kids saying hi to each other. I believe I heard two kids making arrangements to hang out after the game.
The bench staff assumes their position and the kids do their warm up. Each team does the same one! Both teams are looking good out there. LL1 went undefeated in the regular season and also in their first playoff round against Strathroy. We go through the regular season with 3 losses; two of them to DRAGONS LL1. We knew this would be our toughest competition yet. The kids shake gloves then shake the ungloved hands of the coaches. The starting line up takes their place and the rest of the kids come to the bench to await their shift.
The ref ensures the goalies are ready and drops the puck. The DRAGONS take instant possession and make way into LL1’s end. LL1 is on their mark and push us back to centre ice. Again, we head past their blue line and get off a couple of shots that are easily saved by LL1’s goalie, Justin Barnes! The lines change but the play continues in the same fashion. LL1 gets some shots, and we do too, but all are saved by our talented tenders! After LL1 takes a blaster at Matthew, which is skillfully saved, the puck is picked up by Mega Mike. Mike deakes everyone in our end and looks up. He sees Brayden the Brave open just near the opposite blue line. Mike makes the pass and Brayden accepts; into their end he goes. Some of the players have caught up and the area is now congested. Planted in front of the net is Jumpin Jacob, in position and waiting. Brayden gets a shot off but it is, again, saved by Justin. Justin doesn’t freeze it but instead taps it behind his net where Jacob is waiting. Jacob carries the puck out front and at 6:56 in the first, Jacob buries a shot deep in the net to put the DRAGONS up by one. The face off happens and the DRAGONS are pumped. We take the puck and head instantly into LL1’s end again. It’s only seconds after our last goal but we are about to do it again. Incredible Ian winds up and lets it loose from the goalie’s left side. Incredibly, Ian hits Justin’s pads and it swipes across them and lands on the ice in front of him. As instructed by our coaches, one wee DRAGON is in her “office” to pick up the garbage. Mighty Molly sees what’s happening and anticipates the outcome. With practice under her belt, Molly one times the puck the instant it hits the ice and scores a mid-shelf goal for the DRAGONS. Is this a game winner…….. I think so!
The first is over and the second period begins. Other than intense but friendly competition, the period goes similarly to the first; lots of back and forth play but minus the goals. The DRAGONS are shunned in all of their attempts but so are LL1. The second ends in a 2-0 lead for the DRAGONS, but there is lots of hockey left, so who knows where this will end up!
Looking into the stand I can see that the crowd is huge. Never before have I seen a house league game with so many in attendance. The stands were full; I mean absolutely full. There was standing room only and the glass around the boards was lined with face after face of fans who came to see the Dorchester Novice of the season. It was an incredible sight!
The centermen are head to head, awaiting the drop of the puck. All are pumped and excited for the last period. With fire in their eyes, LL1 dominates the puck right off the hop and it’s obvious they are in this to come back. Not 90 seconds into the third and LL1 makes their move. A pass from Colby makes it’s way on to the blade of Grant who stands just inside our blue line. Grant pulls back and lays waste to a fiery blast from the blue line. Almost in slow motion, we see the puck make it’s way to our net where it slips ever so slightly, on the ice, between our goalie’s skates. LL1 is on the board and the score is now 2-1 DRAGONS. Now we are in for something. The tides could change at any moment. Being only one goal up ignites a flame deep in the throat of the DRAGONS. The heat is on and the DRAGONS are determined to keep the score in their favour. Not 2 minutes later the DRAGONS are at it again. Cool-Hand Cohen, as always, keeps the puck at bay and sends it sailing to the other end. No icing because it is snagged by Magic Matt McCague. Magic Matt takes a shot and it’s saved. The rebound deflects onto the ice just in front of the goalie and there she is again; Mighty Molly; who takes another stab at the puck. She does this three times and eventually flips it over to the right hand side of the crease. Magic Matt is standing there and blows the puck into the top shelf of the net. 3-1 DRAGONS. Matt gets us the clincher! Just seconds after the face off, one of the girl DRAGONS finds herself in the box for a tripping penalty. A completely unintentional trip but done in haste to keep the puck out of our end. This opens up the chances of another LL1 goal and Crafty Claista is devastated. Four on 5 for 2 minutes could end it…… but it doesn’t. The penalty is over and it’s back to 5 on 5. After 4 more minutes of play, the buzzer wails and the LL2 DRAGONS have won the first game of this 6 point round in the Novice House league “A” finals.
Not sure what to say except…… AWESOME effort kids.
GO DRAGONS!!!!