Nov 27, 2017 | Amanda Cowdrey | 608 views
Atom B Champs! MMHA 2017 Mariposa Tournament
After a regular season game in Cannington on the Thursday before, the Lindsay Muskies Atom White team was revved up and ready to go as they headed into a 4 game stretch in Oakwood at the MMHA 2017 Mariposa Tournament this past November 17th-19th.
In Game 1, the Lindsay Muskies faced off against the Oro Thunder team with few whistles in the 1st period, and a lot of action in the Oro zone. Muskies defenseman Sean Hayman #17 opened the 2nd period with a beauty goal, shot from the point, earning his 1st goal of the year. The fans started the wave and bells echoed throughout the arena! Oro felt the strain, and our own Tristan Shiers #10 found himself in the box, but their attempts to strong arm the Muskies in the 3rd faltered as playmakers Devon Moynes #8 and Drake Robinson-West #9 facilitated 4 more goals, ending the game in a 6-0 shut out.
Game 2 against Ottawa's West End Wolverines turned the tables on the Muskies, handing out a 9-0 loss for the Atom White team. Returning to the roster from the injured list was Ethan Thompson #6, rested and ready to play. The 1st period was difficult, with 3 fast goals from the Wolverines off the start and 2 more just before the buzzer. Lindsay stepped up their defensive strategies into the 2nd and some masterfully performed spin-o-rama maneuvers from Ethan Peterson #14 led Ottawa into the corners and away from our net. Despite breakaway attempts from Nathan Sanderson #29, Keira Watson #11, & Jaxson Leith #5, they were consistently outskated and blocked by the Wolverines. Our goaltender skated off in the final minutes of the game and the Muskies gained an attacker in an attempt to earn a point for the last period, but Ottawa anticipated the move and dominated over Lindsay.
In Game 3, the Nepean Raiders charged out onto the ice, hungry for their third win of the tournament. The Muskies felt an eerie sense of deja'vu as the Raiders sunk 3 fast ones in the 1st. The feeling broke though when the referee blew a skate blade, delaying the game! The teams kept their bodies warm and their moods high by skating laps and practicing their best cellies. 20 minutes and multiple skates later, a replacement pair was found and the game was back underway. Nepean played the neutral zone trap and continued their push into the Lindsay end. Some great backchecking from Nathan Wooldridge #15 aided in fending off the attack, as the only shot at the top of the 3rd bounced high off the crossbar. The Raiders dug hard at the posts on another, and finally managed a 6th goal, ending the game with another scoreless loss for Lindsay.
The front hall of the Oakwood arena was buzzing with chatter at the noon hour on the final day of the tournament as the teams and their fans eagerly awaited the standings update. The numbers came in and the Lindsay Muskies were set to battle the Ennismore Eagles in the B championship round!
The Eagles started early with a first period win over the Muskies. Lindsay tied it up in the 2nd, but Ennismore came back and won the 2nd period as well, finishing 2-1 Eagles. The 3rd period is where the excitement began to build! The Muskies tied the game, once again, and as the clock wound down, both teams fought hard to wrap things up. The game headed into overtime, the crowd began to gather, and the battle raged on. It was a scoreless 5 minutes, as the back and forth continued, neither team able to besiege the other. With fans at the edges of their seats, the first players lined up for the shoot out. Sean Hayman #17 scored the 1st round goal, and Ennismore returned with one of their own. Next up was Nathan Sanderson #29 with another one for the Muskies, but the Eagles again tied it in the 2nd round. Keira Watson #11 raced in with a fast shot that was just shy of the post and our opponents next shot was stopped solidly by our goaltender. Devon Moynes #8 took a close shot that was quickly blocked, and the Eagles next one was pushed away by our goalie's paddle. At this point, the entire arena of players and families had become spectators when Drake Robinson-West #9 shot a fast one right through the 5-hole and Alexis Kostashuk #1 stopped Ennismore's final attacker, earning the Lindsay Muskies Atom White team the B Championship title in a 5 round shoot out!
Congratulations team!
And thank you Mariposa Minor Hockey Association for a well-organized and fun tournament!