Championship Weekend Bittersweet for Peewee Express, News, Ponting Financial Group - Pee Wee Rep, 2014-2015 (Ingersoll & District Minor Hockey)

This Team is part of the 2014-2015 season, which is not set as the current season.
News Article
News Article Image
Mar 29, 2015 | jrupert | 2027 views
Championship Weekend Bittersweet for Peewee Express
The Ponting Financial Group Ingersoll Express Peewee Rep team wound up their season the last weekend in March, closing out both the OMHA Finals and the Southern Counties finals on back to back days.  When all the final buzzers had sounded and the team was able to reflect on what they'd accomplished, although the weekend didn't pan out exactly how they wanted it to, this team can look back on their accomplishments of the season and be extremely proud of the way that they grew and developed together, and represented Ingersoll Minor Hockey.

On Saturday, March 28, the team travelled to Minden to take on the Highland Storm in Game 5 of the OMHA Finals series, a winner take all game.  Things started off well for Ingersoll, with the team gaining a 1-0 edge early in the first period and then forechecking and backchecking like the coach wanted, playing a near perfect game plan.  Things continued to look up in the second period, as midway through the team added a second tally to the scoreboard, while at the same time Logan White in net and the entire defense corps looked after things in the defensive zone.  When the buzzer sounded for the intermission after two, Ingersoll held on to a 2-0 lead, a good feeling going into the dressing room but knowing it was not necessarily enough to take the game.

After the break, it was evident that there was a shift in momentum, with Highland taking their rest to regroup and adjust to counter Ingersoll's style.  Add to the momentum shift some unfortunate officiating breaks that did not favour Ingersoll, and in a matter of minutes into the third Highland had managed to tie the game up.  Once the score was knotted up, both teams continued to battle, with Ingersoll getting their game back on and forcing the play back at Highland.  When it seemed the teams may be destined for another overtime game (which would have been appropriate given the way the series had gone), a questionable (in Ingersoll fans minds at least) penalty against Ingersoll with just 2:01 left on the clock gave Highland the power play opportunity to close out the period and the game.  Unfortunately for Ingersoll, Highland did indeed capitalize on this fortune, and gained the advantage with just over a minute to go in the game.  Coach Boersma then went all in , going for the tie by pulling the goalie, which gave Highland the opportunity to send the puck at the empty net.  The puck slid over the line, and the teams fates were sealed.  A dejected Ingersoll team took to the blue line to get their medals, clearly upset that they were not gold in colour, but proud nonetheless that they can be considered the second place finishers in the Province for B Division centers.

OMHA.jpg
Ponting Financial Group Ingersoll Express 2014-2015
Ontario Minor Hockey Association 'B' Division Finalists

After a long bus ride home, and not a ton of sleep, the team got right back on the horse and travelled to Ohsweken to participate in the Southern Counties 'A' Division Championship game against the Twin Centre Stars.  For all the accomplishments this peewee team had reached over the past two seasons together, they had yet to beat Twin Centre, with a record of 0-2-4 in the past two seasons.  The question going in to the game was whether the boys would have anything left in the tank after the physically and emotionally exhausting Saturday that they had.

Finals-Pep-Talk.jpg
Coach Boersma offers some final advice before puck drop at the SCMHA Final

The teams battled back and forth through the first period, with neither team able to gain an advantage.  After the first ten were done, the teams were still knotted at 0-0.  The second started off the way the first finished, with both teams looking for an advantage, a mistake by the other team that they could capitalize on.  And it was Ingersoll who was able to gain that advantage first, when Symon Hutcheson cruised into the Twin Centre zone and fired a puck that got through the five hole.  Just like that, the team was on the board.  That was all the scoring for the period though.  As the teams switched ends, Ingersoll held a tight 1-0 lead.  Only fifteen minutes remained between the team defending their SCMHA 'A' Division Championship.

This time, going into the third period holding the lead, it looked like the team was determined to have a different outcome.  The team continued to play hard, getting pucks deep, and forechecking strong.  Midway through the period Parker Hodgson added another goal through the goalie's pads, adding a little breathing space for Ingersoll.  The team then set about defending the lead, and did an excellent job of it, from the net out.  Each of the players knew what their job was, and executed the game plan to perfection.  Twin Centre pulled their goalie late, going for broke, but this time it was Ingersoll who took advantage, with Hodgson adding an empty netter and sealing the victory for the Express.

When the final buzzer sounded, Ingersoll had held on for the shutout 3-0 victory, got the Twin Centre monkey off their back, and had successfully defended their Southern Counties 'A' Division Title.

SC-Celebrate.jpg
The team celebrates with goalie Logan White after the final buzzer sounds

Banner.jpg
Team captain Parker Hodgson accepts the SCMHA 'A' Division Champions banner and plaque

SC-Champs.jpg
Ponting Financial Group Ingersoll Express
2014-2015 Southern Counties Peewee 'A' Champions



A recap of the team's success for the 2014-15 season:
  • Overall record 62-14-7
  • Regular season record 14-1-5
  • OMHA Playoff Record 11-5-0
  • OMHA Finalists
  • Southern Counties Playoff Record 11-1-2
  • Southern Counties 'A' Division Champions
  • IDMHA September Classic Tournament Champions
  • Bill Batten Tournament Champions
  • Golden Puck Tournament Champions
  • Golden Acres Tournament Consolation Title
  • Silver Stick Regional Tournament Semi-finalists
  • IDMHA Coach of the Year - Jared Boersma
Congratulations to this team, and to their coaching staff, Jared Boersma, Kevin Atkinson and Roger "Cheetah" Shelton.  You can hold your heads high with pride knowing that you represented Ingersoll Minor Hockey and the Ponting Financial Group with pride and dignity, and that you made your fans, especially your families, extremely proud of all your successes this year.  Way to go Express!!!