May 10, 2010 | Terry Whiteside | 1020 views
98's Prove They Belong!
The Quick Feet 98's proved to themselves and their fans that they are a team to contend with. Right from the start of the tournament, we could see that our team was much more prepared to compete at the AAA level.
In the 1st game the boys came out skating hard which was a trademark of our team throughout the tournament. Our opponents, Kingston Beast knew they were in a tough game. Kingston scored with 1:33 left in the 1st and Quick Feet came right back and scored at 0:52 remaining. Nic Whiteside scored after driving hard to the net. Jorden Reaman took the puck wide and threw the puck out front to draw an assist. Owen O'Donnell had the other assist on the play. The 1st ended 1-1.
In the 2nd both teams played hard for the first half of the period, but then Quick Feet went for a "little snooze". The "snooze" lasted for about 6 minutes. At the end of the 2nd we found ourselves down 8-1. The boys learned a very valuable lesson that they cannot take a shift off. You can't let up at this level or the other team will take advantage quickly.
The 3rd period was a much better period for us, however we couldn't capitalize on our chances. The game ended 8-1.
In game 2 the boys were hungry to show that they could play a full game. They came out skating hard and didn't let up the whole game. The 1st ended 0-0 and it wasn't until 9:04 in the 2nd that we finally scored. Nic Whiteside scored his 2nd of the tournament with a beauty shot to the top corner over the glove of the Snarlin' Dogs goaltender. The play was set up by a great pass from James Whidden. The Snarlin Dogs didn't give up and scored to tie the game at 8:10 of the 2nd. The scored was tied until 2:06 remaining in the 3rd when Justin Donnelly drove the net hard with the puck and was rewarded with the winning goal. Owen "Rufus" Routheut and Tyler "The Chirper" Sutter assisted on the play. This was our first win and the boys were sure happy and pumped after this one.
In game 3 we met the North Central Ice Kings. With our benches next to each other we could hear everything the other coaches were saying. They were very impressed with our speed and tenacity on the puck. The line of Logan Freiburger, Cole Hodgins and Justin Donnelly led our team all tournament with their hardwork and superior effort. The only goal of the game was scored in the 2nd by the Ice Kings. Quick Feet had ample chances to score but were held off the board. Final score 1-0.
In game 4 we could feel the confidence continuing to grow in our team. The boys knew they could skate and outwork their opponents and they wanted to show it again this game. We were up against the Simcoe Warriors. Simcoe came with only 11 skaters and their coaches were wishing they would have had more. Our boys took the play to them and wore them down all game long. Again we heard comments from their bench about how hard we worked and how quick we were. They couldn't match our pace. Our guys should be proud of the way they worked and competed. Quick Feet took the lead at 8:57 of the 1st when James Whidden scored after some nice work from Owen Reigling and Bryce Fletcher. This forward line just kept getting better every game. We are looking forward to next weekend to see these guys continue to improve together. Simcoe didn't quit and tied the game at 3:51 of the 2nd. We outchanced them throughout the 3rd but Simcoe took the lead and the game when they scored with 1:42 left. Final 2-1. Kallen Macumber had an excellent game in net for Quick Feet making several key saves.
Game 5 was a rematch against the Snarlin Dogs to see who went to the AAA Final game. Our defensive core had another very strong game. Braeden Marshall was our anchor on the point. He played very aggressive throughout the tournament. The other teams sure knew when he was out there. Derick Acheson was making his defense debut and did a very good job moving the puck and clearing the front of our net. Collin Zettler was another anchor. He just keeps getting better every shift. As one of our new members this year we are sure glad to have him on the point. Jordan Waddell played very solid and showed a physical presence. Tyler Sutter used his speed to move the puck up the ice and was a pest for the opposition at every chance. Owen Routheut was also experiencing defense for the first time at the AAA level. He showed good composure and used his shot to get the puck at the net.
This game was a battle right from the start and there were a few more penalties in this game to show for it. The coaches were proud of our team in each game as we drew fewer penalties in every game than our opposition. And we did this this while playing a very aggressive style. Our goaltending was very good in each game of the tournament and this game was no exception. Braeden Ellis played extremely well and kept the Snarlin Dogs off the board throughout regulation play. Our team had several opportunities to end this game in regulation. We had 2 goals called back by the refs. One was definitely gloved in to the net while the other was a little more controversial as the refs said our player was standing in the crease. There was no interference on the play, but the call stood. No goal.
This put us into overtime, which we had to start shorthanded due to an "iffy" call from our friends in the stripes. We killed of the penalty and were getting good chances to score, but the Dogs got the winner with 1:52 left to win the game. Our guys ended the tournament with bronze medals and they all say that next weekend they will be after the GOLD!
The coaches and parents are very happy and proud of the performance from this team and are confident that we can compete and win at this level. All 3 lines are solid, our defense is mobile and aggressive and our goaltenders can and do make the big saves when needed. As the confidence grows, watch out for the 98's!