Blue Thunder Recap, News, Minor Novice 2010, 2018 (Quick Feet Hockey)

This Team is part of the 2018 season, which is not set as the current season.
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May 28, 2018 | Steve Barber | 1542 views
Blue Thunder Recap
This past weekend the Quick Feet 2010 Minor Novice headed East instead of South. Destination - Collingwood for the Blue Thunder Tournament.



Ok Where do I start with this one because I know words cannot possibly do justice.  What to include and what to leave out and to be kept as part of the legendary folklore that surrounds this 2010 Minor Novice Family…

With 10 days off the ice since our last practice there was a concern about being a little rusty.  And the players were thrown right into it with a battle against a powerful Barrie team.  Goalie Stanley C. stood on his head or it would have been a worse turnout.  Game 2 was a little different…  After a tough loss in the first game the team got their legs under them and put it to their next opponent 7-0 – giving their star goalie a game off with only allowing 1 shot on net (think that will be a record for some time). Highlight reel goals by Olivia S (should have had 2), Gryphon B and a terrific passing play from Max M to Olivia S who tossed it to the side of the net for Emerson S to bang in, were the talk of the day.

The next day was a very early start.  The breaks just didn’t go our way and there may have been some minor disagreements with how the other team’s coaching staff was acting however  

The last game is where we can start I guess…

As this would be our last tournament for the Spring season our 4th game could very well be our last.  Win and we play again Sunday.  Lose and we go home and hang up our skates until the Fall.  After a long morning and afternoon of water balloon fights and swimming in the creek, the players came out a little slow to start the first period and quickly fell behind.  Then Holden C. grabbed the puck and buried it past the goalie…

The second period had some solid checking by Maddie H and excellent rushes by Hudson I with tenacious checking by Riley A. However, after the second period the game looked out of reach as the Minor Novice Quick Feet were down 5-1 heading into the third.  Little pep talk and the coach sent them on their way…

This season was summed up in one period.

At the drop of the puck one could tell the atmosphere had changed both on the ice and in the stands

After a bit of strong play by the defense pairing of Will B and Grayson B (“Will and Grace”), and the relentless corner digging of Brodie F and Luke S, Tucker M bangs in a goal mouth scramble to get things started.

5-2

Crowd stirs, momentum starts to shift

A couple minutes later defenseman Luke S. picks up the puck in his end and heads behind his net.  Heads one way stops and changes direction and it’s off to the races.  The length of the rink is approximately 200 feet but that didn’t stop Luke from traveling almost double that.  Bobbing and weaving East to West and fighting through everything to get free and blasted one short side.

5-3

Crowd erupts Momentum shifts

With 2 and a half minutes left and Stanley C now on the bench for the extra attacker the Quick Feet Team were back at it again. Gryphon B grabbed the puck drove to the net and wired one for the top corner only to be blocked by the goalie.  What the goalie didn’t see was Tucker M standing in front who banged in the rebound

5-4

By now the crowd is in hysterics

It is now bedlam and the Gymnext team is holding on for dear life.

Which is what they did.

After the final buzzer sounded the game ended and it was the end of the season for the 2010 Minor Novice Quick Feet Team. Tears in the dressing room showed just how much these players wanted to play and to not have it end.

This third period, the players should they have grit and determination and the never give up attitude that top players have. This season this team has had mountains to climb -playing teams that have played together all year round.  Sometimes they succeeded and sometimes they fell short.  

But they never gave up.

On April 9th, these kids showed up in Walkerton to try out for a team.  The goal was to play a little more hockey and try to improve on some skills.  The result was something that no one ever expected or could imagine.  These 15 kids not only improved on the ice, but came out of this Spring season with new friends, teammates and memories that will stay with them forever.  They came from different centers playing different levels of hockey and ended up becoming something greater than each other.  They played together, played for each other, and stuck up for one another. In such a small amount of time this was truly an amazing thing to watch and as well be a small part of.

A big part of this and credit needs to go to the parents of these 15 fine young players.  A finer group of upstanding individuals I never did see….

Lots will be left unsaid on this blog. Lots cannot be said here.  Memories will remain. Lasting friendships have been fostered by both players and parents. Laughter, comments from left field, the occasional clothing mishap, balls, standing upside down, whipped cream and a potluck to remember some of the things we can take from this. 

Oh, and by the way some excellent hockey was played by all. You should be very proud of your players!

I will say it again.  We came to Walkerton as strangers. We now leave as friends and an extended family!

 

Just so you all know the pin was secured for the ride home!!!

 

Have a great summer and good luck in your winter season!  Hopefully we will do this again!

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