Jan 22, 2018 | JJewkes | 814 views
2017/18 International Silver Stick Champions Brokerlink Atom Rep
“For me, winning isn’t something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream.”- Emmit Smith
This past Sunday our Express train headed into Forest for the International Silver Stick Championship game.
The finals would see the Listowel Cyclones against our Ingersoll Express for the Atom B championship.
Having been matched up in the round robin games with our Express coming out on top 4-2. Our Express were feeling excited, but the ever lasting thought in their heads that you never like playing a team twice in one tournament as the first team that loses almost always comes out hungry to redeem themselves.
That was not to be the case, the first period was back and forth seeing both teams visit the penalty box yet neither team could capitalize on the power play. Then with less than a minute on the clock #15 Jonah Martire was able to beat the Listowel goaltender.
1-0 Ingersoll Express Brokerlink
The second period played on much like the first but this time our team being very aggressive spent the time in the box. Listowel would not be able to beat our Express while they were on the power play. Again with only seconds remaining in the period Listowel would tie the match at 1.
The third period was a roller coaster of emotions for the players, coaches and mostly the parents in the stands.
The penalty kill would be the strength in the Express as they would have to kill off 4 penalties in third. Stepping up to the task was our unyielding defence man #5 Nathan Crane. He would pick up the puck in our own end and proceed to skate through the opposing team and bury the puck behind the Listowel netminder, giving our Express the lead back.
Listowel being the ever resilient team would come back once again and even the score once again this time at 2.
With the seconds ticking by and the nerves building through out the arena the teams will battle all over the ice. With the clock reading 3:16 #7 Wyatt Thompson would break through and give Ingersoll the lead 3-2.
Time still left on the clock Listowel pressed on, with just under two minutes left we were again forced back on the penalty kill. Now down one man in the box, Listowel would pull their goalie and press with a 6 on 4.
That last 1:45 would feel like a eternity to the Ingersoll team battling on the boards to gain puck control and get it out of our zone. Fighting off ever way of the Listowel attack, until the final buzzer and the players, coaches and fans erupted in celebration. Gloves, sticks and I even think a few tears of joy would fill the air.
This was a remarkable win and a excellent pay off for the hard work of our players, coaching staff. What a great finish to our tournament schedule and a fantastic beginning to our play off run.
Looking forward to great things to come from this Ingersoll Express Atom Rep Brokerlink team. The skies the limit!
"Successful programs consist of people working hard, working together, while never worrying about who gets the credit." - Don Meyer