Local captain leads Sudbury team at Provincials!
The OWHA provincial championships, the famed “Provincials’, were held this past weekend in Toronto for 520 teams, among them Captain, Delaney Bridgeman and her U18A Sudbury Lady Wolves teammates. After winning the Central East league championship with a 33-6-4 record, then finishing tied for first with 6 of a possible 8 points in playoffs, coming within a tie breaker of advancing to the league champions final, the girls were looking to the Provincials to cap a long, very successful season. The Lady Wolves came out Friday afternoon facing off against a gritty and determined Central York Panthers. After a scoreless first, the Panthers managed the game’s lone marker 22 seconds into the second. Despite some solid work creating numerous high-quality attempts, the SLW girls couldn’t break through the Panthers’ solid as a rock goalie with a clean shot, and after having two greasy net scramble goals waived off in the dying seconds, they fell 1—0.
In such a large tournament, one misstep can be the end of any hopes for elimination play, so in their second game Friday, an 8 am tilt against the Timmins Falcons, who had managed a tie in their earlier match, the girls had to respond well. In the first period, the Lady Wolves had yet another seemingly good goal negated, a goal mouth scramble knock-in that they celebrated but was waived off when they were already at the bench. Then they found themselves down 1-0 after a Falcons shot hit the crossbar, dropped straight down in front of the goal line and bounced out. Timmins celebrated as though it was a goal and the referee called it one. The SLW responded well though, immediately tying it up, and then in the third, with 1:58 to go, went ahead 2-1. Sudbury held off the goalie out attack from Timmins and had their first win of the weekend.
Game three was Saturday afternoon against the Cornwall Typhoon. While the SLW side dominated, it was a chippy affair, the Sudbury girls skating to a 2-0 win but took some serious bruising. In the end they were off to the qualifying round after finishing second in their group.
Up next were the Nepean Wildcats in the qualifying round, and it was another adventure in goal calling. This game, a quick whistle annulled a SLW first period marker, and then Nepean scored at the end of the second, the puck going in after the buzzer had sounded. The referee determined it a good goal, and suddenly Sudbury was down 1-0 despite controlling the bulk of play by far. Angered, Delaney’s line stormed out to start the 3rd and pinned the Typhoon in their end, tying it at one. On their very next shift, Delaney’s “Red” line put the Lady Wolves up by one on a beautiful 4 way passing play. As the game wound down, with the Nepean netminder out for the extra attacker, the Lady Wolves kept it interesting, missing 4 attempts at the empty net. They did hang on though, and the 2-1 win put the Sudbury girls into a quarter final date within the North Halton Twisters, Saturday night at 8.
Prior to the QF game there was time for a health check. One very sore back, one twisted knee, an elbow the size of an orange, a hip flexor tear, a pinched neck nerve, and too many bruises to count. Those disallowed goals in game one cost the girls a very much needed bye, but all were iced and ready at 8:30. North Halton was ready as well. It was an entertaining match, with long stretches of attack and counterattack, some beautiful passing plays cancelled by stellar goaltending at both ends. A ‘too many skaters’ penalty against the Lady Wolves proved hurtful as a Twister power play goal put North Halton up by one after 1. Then an unfortunate puck hop on a passing play back to the defense on a Sudbury power play lead to a Twister breakaway marker that put the SLW side down by 2 after 2.
The girls came out flying in the 3rd, but protecting a 2 goal lead simplified the game for eventual silver medalist North Halton, and despite some desperate play by the Lady Wolves, North Halton’s keeper and defense held firm. The 2 – 0 score stood as a final. The season ended that Saturday night for the Lady Wolves in Etobicoke, out in the round of 8. There were tears from the Sudbury side, tears of disappointment at losing the game, and tears of farewell to the girls who age out. So congratulations on an outstanding year girls, and a special nod to Delaney on the end to a remarkable minor hockey career!
Memorial Volleyball in Wiikwemkoong!
Gerard Baibomcowai and Dana Ominika co-hosted the 2nd Annual CO-ED Memorial Volleyball Tournament in memory of Branden and Noah baa who both loved the game of Volleyball. They had 12 teams entered so Gerard organized a 24 game round robin with a single game up to 25. Teams were then ranked and thrown into a double knock-out format.
The B Champions were the 89ER’S (Dee Denny) won $500! The Runners up were team Sagamok (Mike Abitong) who shared $250.
The A Champions were team Baby Food (Kaylynn Payette) who ran away with $1,000. A Runners- was King Julian (Julian Wemigwans) who took away $750!
Panther win, details!
Thanks to Panther U13 Coach Scott Stephens who took the time to get me the specifics on their great run at the Tournament of Champions and put together a wrap on a winning campaign. Their T.O.C. tournament was the icing on the cake on an already successful season, winning three gold and two silver medals.
The U13 Manitoulin Panthers applied to take part in the “A” Division in the NOHA’s annual Tournament of Champions. This year’s tournament began on March 31st and was hosted by the West Nipissing Sting in Sturgeon Falls.
After claiming the second seed in their pool, the Panthers advanced to and won the semifinals 6-3 against the hometown team. The only blemish on Temiskaming Shore’s record at this tournament was the Panthers with a 2-2 tie in Round Robin play. The championship game was another nail-biter between these two teams and the locals were edged by the Shores to take silver.
The NOHA “A” TOC Silver Medalist U13 Manitoulin Panthers in attendance were: Brynn Best, Liam Stephens, Roen Deschenes, Memphis Shawanda, Trinity Cheechoo, Spencer Cortes, Ryan Carter, Cohen Rajotte, Lincoln Rancourt, Bryden Romaniuk, Sean Simon, Alex Bourcier, Kobe Mayers and Jaxsin Chatwell. Their Bench Staff featured: Scott Stephens, Nelson Deschenes, Clayton Best, Roxanne Romaniuk, and Dana Rancourt.
Oops File!
It was a major brain cramp that must have caused me to not only get one but both names wrong of the founder and director of the Manitoulin Island Minor Lacrosse Association. His actual name is Adam Brown and a quick reminder that he is putting the call out for players, coaches, referees and equipment. If you can help him get the league up and running for this summer, you can search him on Facebook, his website manitoulinislandml.wixsite.com/lacrosse or email him at manitoulinislandmla@outlook.com.
