The Bantam LL Unifor 3264 season came to an end on March
9/17 when the boys travelled to Burford to face the Six Nations Blackhawks in a
Playoff Semi Final Game.
The Blackhawks finished first overall in “B” division while
Unifor 3264 finished in fourth thanks to a late season five game winning
streak. The game was originally scheduled for March 8/17 in Oshweken but due to
severe wind the Oshweken arena lost power and the game had to be postponed and
rescheduled for the Burford arena.
In what was the most exciting game of the season for the Unifor 3264 team, the team came up one goal short from advancing to the finals. The game belonged to both goalies as Unifor 3264 net minder Dawson Sharpe came up with numerous big saves in the first period. At the same time the Blackhawks goalie stymied the Unifor 3264 shooters and kept the score tied at 0-0 heading into the second.
Unifor 3264 would open the scoring three minutes into the second period when defense man Alex Barr’s shot went off the Six Nations goalies glove and into the net. With the lead the Unifor 3264 team turned up the defensive intensity and held the Blackhawks off the board going into the final period.
The team kept the favored Blackhawks off the score sheet until late in the third. With three minutes left in the game Sharpe made an incredible save but could not control the rebound. Six Nations picked up the loose puck and put it into the top left hand corner to tie the game at 1-1 and send it into overtime.
With 10:00 minutes of overtime to be played the Unifor 3264 squad dug deep to overcome the late goal. Once again Sharpe was strong in the overtime period making save after save to give his team an opportunity to win. The Unifor 3264 side could not find a way to get the game winner and with 0:27 left in the opening overtime frame the Blackhawks would get the game winner and send the Unifor 3264 side home.
The team played, without a doubt, its best game of the season. Hard defensive work, great goaltending and extra effort were the keys to this game. The Ingersoll side won the majority of the puck battles but eventually ran into a hot goaltender.
The game represented the growth of the team throughout the season. A season that started out with players getting to know each other both on and off the ice, finished with a group of young men who developed hockey skills and friendships. This can be attributed to the coaching staff of the team. A big thanks from all of the boys and parents goes out to Head Coach Chris Clifford, Assistant Coach Chris Dench and Trainer Sheldon Wade. Their patience and work with the boys turned the season around as they team went from a below .500 team to having a winning a record in the second half, making the playoffs, and losing to the eventual champions in the semi-final game.
The team would also like to send a big thank-you to our sponsor Unifor 3264. The support of the community and opportunity to represent the community is part of what keeps them coming out to play.