Hoping for a Gold Medal Re-Match...
The Owen Sound Kunkel Bus Lines Major Bantam team were in Cambridge on the weekend hoping the hockey gods would shine down on them and provide a re-match vs. the Shamrocks who defeated them in OT not too long ago in the championship silverstick game.
The Attack opened the tournament against a good skating Clarington team. Down 1-0 early, but continued to skate and battle, earning a 2-1 lead, before an eventual 4-2 victory.
The next matchup pitted the Kunkel Bus Lines squad against a determined team from Oshawa. Despite outshooting their opponents by more then thirty shots, they scraped by with a narrow 2-1 win.
One more game to go in the round robin was a battle versus Perinton Youth Blades. The Jr. Attack continued to struggle in the scoring department and found themselves deadlocked at 0-0 with one period to go. This team often scores in bunches and they buried the biscuit four times in the third to finish first place in the round robin with six points.
There was a three way tie for second since Hespeler, Woolwhich, and Clarington were all 2 and 1. The semi-finals were set with Owen Sound squaring off against Clarington Toros once again, and Hespeler meeting Woolwhich. In the back of everybody's mind was that rematch vs Hespeler if we both win our semi-final matches.
Owen Sound opened the scoring late in the first period to take a 1-0 lead into the second frame. Clarington would score a PP goal in the second to tie the game at 1-1. Owen Sound Kunkel Bus Lines Jr. Attack pushed back with a goal of their own to put them in the drivers seat. Clarington took advantage of a 5 on 3 PP putting some pressure on Owen Sound an scoring just as the first penalty expired to tie the game at 2-2. We didn't see the lamp light up the remainder of the game, sending it into overtime!
The strong skating Owen Sound squad was licking their lips with more ice to move during the first 3 minute segment of 4 on 4. It didn't take long and it was all over in 24 seconds, and we got the matchup we wanted!
The finals were set, the host team Hespeler Shamrocks vs the hungry bears from Owen Sound ready to attack.
Both teams came out flying for warm-up and that didn't change with the drop of the puck. It was Hespeler that would strike first on the power play to take a 1-0 lead. Owen Sound would score in the final minute of the opening period to make it 1-1 after 1. Both goaltenders kept the puck out of the net for the second period, with the score unchanged going into the third. Owen Sound converted some speed through the neutral zone into a break-a-way and an eventual goal to take a 2-1 lead. With the goalie pulled, time winding down, Owen Sound was able to score an empty netter at the buzzer to put the hammer down and bring home the cup!
Congratulations to the Kunkel Bus Lines Major Bantams for a well earned gold medal.
