Mar 24, 2014 | SCorrigan | 828 views
Semi Final & Consolation Weekend
Yesterday witnessed a trio of games that were only similar in terms of their intensity, yet all three were entertaining.
The opening match pitted the defensive minded Devils against the offensive orientated Blackhawks. The Devils, owners of the regular season's best record with but a single loss and winner of last week's Kevin Fegan tournament, had every reason to be confident. Still, throughout the playoff round robin they struggled to find the back of the net. On the other side, the Blackhawks had ridden their big guns and stingy defence to an undefeated record in the round robin. This was the fastest paced game of the day. Nonetheless scoring chances were limited on both sides. The Blackhawks were able to capitalize in the first on their only 4 legitimate chances while the Devils countered just once. The stand outs for the Devils included Conor Jones and Josh Kublek who both proved dangerous off the wing and who both created goal mouth scrambles. Additionally, Reid Ortwein came in during the second half and was stellar between the pipes for the Devils. For the Blackhawks, it was a case of a truly balanced attack with four of their forwards, Devon Taylor, Mark McGuire, Gage Rud and Dylan Corrigan, each recording a goal and an assist. At the final buzzer the Blackhawks had earned their 5-1 win and a trip to the Day of Champions.
The second semi final game saw the Sharks take on the Penguins. It was a rematch of sorts as they had met in the fifth game of the round robin series. To the surprise of few, this game was pretty much like every other match between these two teams all season: very physical and close checking. The score keeper was kept busy less by the offensive exploits of either team than by recording the 12 minor penalties. Neither team was prepared to give an inch of ice up and this was a classic playoff game. The Penguins took the lead mid way through the first as Dax Laking capitalized on a Shark defensive miscue. That goal held for over ten minutes before the Sharks Trystan Boyce split the Penguins defence and buried the puck in the net. For long stretches the Penguins dominated with Chase Machin and Nick Delegianis winning repeated battles along the boards but defensive work by Keiffer Wegener and Mason Mccormick kept the Penguins at bay. At the start of the third the Penguins had no choice but to press and had to set their defensive game style aside. The Sharks made good with their limited chances by notching three goals in the third, including the second by Boyce. The final was 4-1 and the Sharks earned their trip to the Day of Champions.
The final game of the day was the consolation match between the Hurricanes and the Senators. Due to the length of the two semi finals games (which are not curfewed) and the need for the next age group to start their semi final games on time this game was abbreviated to just two periods. It lacked the speed of the first game and the physicality of the second but did not give up an ounc ein terms of entertainment value. It was a good old fashion example of fire wagon hockey were the last shot might win. The Senators registered a pair of goals by Cam Bonneville and Tyler Spiegelhalter and dominated the first period. But the second period belonged to the Hurricanes as Tyrus Morissette exploded for 5 goals and Ethan Soares added a pair. The final was 7-5.
The championship game between the Blackhawks and Sharks is set for this coming Saturday at 11 am. It is being held at Duncan McIntosh. After the conclusion of the game there is the Major Atom year end banquet, like the kids have enjoyed every year they have been in CMHA.
The banquet itself can be chaotic, as it starts after the conclusion of the championship game, and ther eis eating, and awards and draws and kids running around everywhere. Parking is at a premium, so it is best to arrive early. Last year the city ticketed vehicles that parked illegally on the baseball side on the entrance drive, so it is likely they will do so again this year. As for the banquet, each coach will direct the kids to their respective tables and the bench staff will help serve them.
The last thing the kids want to hear is long speeches. Most would prefer to play mini sticks or fool around with their friends. Because of that, I have asked the coaches to be pithy with their comments when introducing their teams on to the stage and when awarding the Most Sportsmanlike, Most Improved and Most Dedicated Esso medals.
Additional awards to be handed out include:
1) The Spirit of Hockey Award (a player who exemplifies skill, leadership and sportsmanship and is chosen by the coaches)
2) The Sean Noseworthy Award (a goalie who demonstrates skill and dedication but above all a love for the game and is chosen by the coaches)
3) Coach of the Year (chosen by the bench staffs)
4) Playoff Allstars (6 positional players who stood out during the playoffs, not regular season, and chosen by myself and the coaches)
5) Championship MVPs (chosen by the coaches)