For the second time in 3 weeks the Quick Feet Minor Novice team loaded up and headed South - not for vacation - but to battle for supremacy at the Quest for the Cup.
After last time I was surprised they would be letting us back into Toronto especially into the same hotel... They didn't learn their lesson.
The day started off with the Quick Feet team trying to get their legs under them after a long drive. They played well but one could see the weariness for being on the road for so long. A couple of great saves by Stanley C. and a blooper goal by Tucker -
"it started as a wrist shot and then I don't know what happened" - M. and some tough hard playing hockey by the rest, the team started to play better and move their feet as the game wore on.
The next three games the Quick Feet players showed how good they were. If one looked at the end result of each game, they would be missing the big picture. In these three games the QF team hit the post 20 times! A little to the left or a little to the right and the result would have been different. In each game they had a chance to come out victorious - only to have a bad break happen.
All was not lost as there were extremely exciting plays that had the crowd on the edge of their seats and in most cases right out of them. The speed and never give up attitude of Hudson -
"I'll give him a 20 ft head start and still catch him on the back check" I., to the powerful play of Holden C., Gryphon "Crazy Eyes" B, and Tucker M - who as a line in the third game only played 20 seconds the whole game in their own end. When they were on the ice, the other team shook in their boots as they were relentless on the puck. And then there was the brilliant penalty killing of Elliot C and Madison H - who when teamed up with Brodie F and Grayson B never allowed a shot on net and in fact played a perfect T in the opposing end for nearly the whole 2 minutes with Maddy getting 3 shots on net! Luke
"Hey watch me take the puck behind my net -switch direction and go" S. played with such tenacity the other team feared the front of the net. The persistance of Max
"hey gimmie that puck back" M., and the speediness and determination of Olivia
"it's ok, I can take 2 or 3 of you to the net with me" S. teamed up with Emerson
"I can stop you on a breakaway the feed my linemate a laser like pass" S., and showed how check and make plays in the tough areas.
The score of the first 4 games showed all losses for the QF Minor Novice Team. It all came to a head though in Sunday's Bronze Championship game.
This game welcomed back stalwart defenceman Will -
"Sorry fellas I just had to leave and win the National Kickboxing Championship Saturday" - B, whose patience and steadiness on the back end was sorely missed.
They were up against familiar foes - the Golden Glide - who were ready to play. It should be noted that this was the first time we had 2 refs all weekend and the first time non penalties were called!
The Glide opened the scoring in the first and after a quick rest between the first and second the QF team decided to take matters in their own hands and start making their own breaks. Tucker
"I can score from anywhere even from the seat of my pants" -M got the QF team on the board midway through the second. Grayson
"Hey if you can do that so can I" B., took the puck and blasted one shortly after. Near the end of the period the Glide slid one in and the score was tied at the end of the second.
A little pep talk between the second and third by the coach telling his players to keep the foot on the gas and not to let up, prompted one of his players to reply - Coach we don't have gas pedals we have skates!... (Coach needs to work on his pep talks I guess!)
Back to the game. Shortly after the drop of the puck Tucker M broke loose and put one top shelf and the game was on. The newly constructed line of Elliot C., Madison H., and Riley
"You want me to play Forward?! Ok" A., took matters into their own hands when a three way passing play sprung Elliot
"watch my hands dance" C., free and dangled past a lone defenseman and buried one short side to put the QF up by 2. Then Tucker
'what the Heck let me try this again" M., blasted one for the first QF hattrick for the year. There were many bald heads around the stands after all the hats were thrown on the ice!
To finish off in style, the Glide went down and had a nifty passing play that ended in a bullet shot labeled for the top corner only to find its way into the glove of Stanley "Boy that was Patrick Royesque like" C. Some say there was even a wink to the player as he skated by...
The game ended with the QF team 5-2 Bronze Champions and a happier bunch you never did see.
This tournament was full of firsts. First time playing at a 6 pad arena, first time playing in a tournament with 146 teams of various ages, first time playing on an Olympic size ice surface, first time playing with only one ref, first time having to change your jerseys on the fly, first time with a bullhorn in the parking lot, first time a player had to leave a game to go win the National kickboxing championship, first time hearing "and then they take the coats off!" and first time hearing "legally I can't sell you that sir!" and the first time ever playing under a Chinese Food Restaurant! Oh yeah. There might have been a bad attempted at a cartwheel in there somewhere...
To sum this weekend up, the Minor Novice Quick Feet team went down to Toronto and each game showed massive improvement. Each shift was better than the last. This is what it is all about.
A lot of fun was had by the young players as well as the "older" players with one more to go. Get ready Collingwood - the Quick Feet Team is coming and you will never be the same!!!
