Ice Hockey
Annual Showcase Games—Last Saturday night, the two SLS Ice Hockey Teams played in the annual "Showcase Games" which is always an exciting prospect. This year was a poignant one for this rematch, notable because of the chance for Shawnigan to convert our "3-peat" to a "4-peat" for both teams.
Our Junior Team started the night well, with a lot of scoring chances but couldn't seem to find the back of the net. Any one of these scoring chances converted would have provided momentum and a needed confidence boost. However, the Juniors seemed affected by the pressure of playing in this event, and had looked sharper in previous games. Further, penalty troubles plagued our young team, and twice had to defend a 5-on-3 powerplay. Somehow the applied pressure in our opponents' end of the ice became, upon a puck turnover, a goal for our opponents in our end. Though a lone goal was scored by Matt B. later in the game, it was not enough to counter the four tallies from our opponents. Final score: 4-1 Brentwood.
The Senior Team started well and provided a remarkable display of effort and determination. Brentwood capitalized early and found an un-attended puck in front of our net to take the lead. Scoring the first goal is pivotal since it is real crowd booster and provides confirmation that a game plan is working. Shawnigan responded with a goal where possession was retained on a puck put deep into our opponents zone, and two simple passes found a waiting Carlin H. alone at the empty side of net, and the game was tied 1-1. A face-off win in our opponents end turned tragic when two SLS defenders attempted to pick up a loose puck traveling between them at the blue line, and a misread of the play resulted in a BCS breakaway, in which the original shot was stopped but trickled in to the left side of the net.
A few unconverted powerplays still left us with a goal deficit. Many point shots seemed to miss the mark, and our applied pressure was a good test of our opponents' mettle. Perhaps moving the puck over to the other side of the ice to try a different angle of attack might have yielded better scoring chances. The players' efforts were well-respected by both opponents and spectators alike, and made for some very exciting hockey. Owen S. was a real crowd favourite with his acrobatic saves, steely determination, and grace under pressure to stop a penalty shot. The MVP award, as selected by the opposing coach, went to Drew M., a winger on our powerplay unit.
Certainly a night to remember, and certainly the best both teams had to offer. My congratulations to the Seniors for "leaving everything on the ice" and elevating their game play. Our thanks to our competitors down the road for their game preparation, skill, and sportsmanship, and of course for bringing out the best of our character. Final score: 2-1 Brentwood. We are thankful for the opportunity to compete in such a fun event and look forward to next year's games. The rivalry is as strong as ever!
– Paul Morris, Coach