Last we talked, I had told you a tale of quite the battle of wills, but mostly heart. How the boys had fought hard and managed to pull things together, to be able to defeat the Penetang Flames. That meant we were off to face Oro and their very impressive bench. A team made up mostly of second year kids and we knew this game was going to get physical.
Our 1st game against Oro did not disappoint. Oro came out hitting and not just metaphorically. There was not a goal scored in the first period, but it did become apparent that our games in the regular season had come back to haunt us. The Oro kids remembered just how determined our boys could be and they took every opportunity to show our kids they remembered, none more than our own #15, Cooper. It didn’t matter and the boys kept on going. With 7:07 left in the period We scored. Garrett, Jamie, Jack, one of them was responsible, but it was such a flurry no one could tell. With 5:02 left, Oro got one of their own. On to the third period and our boys weren’t backing down. They were tired, but they didn’t want to give up. With 8:45 left in the 3rd Liem passed to Gavin and in it went. The penalties were abundant on both sides, but with 4:40 left in the 3rd Oro scored. After many chances, we were bound for overtime. Both teams were unsuccessful, except at getting penalties.
On to Game #2 and it was beginning to look like a carbon copy. The first period was fast paced, with good chances on both sides. Our defence and Braxton, our goalie, were really put to the test. As we went into the second period, we began to think this wasn’t going to go in our favour. Oro went up by 2 goals, but our boys weren’t giving up. With 2:56 left Bryson, put it in the back of the net. Then at 2:03 left, Spencer had a beautiful assist for Bryson to score again. As the third began, you could see the boys gaining momentum. With 11:41 left in the third Evan passed the puck to Spencer and in it flew. Then with 8:33 left Carter used his hard shot to score a goal from the point. To finish off the game with a bang, probably the prettiest goal of them all was a beautiful pass from Jack to Spencer and then from Spencer to Jamie. The game was done 5-3 Coyotes.
Game #3 was easier to watch for sure. We began with a goal from Evan at 7:41. Then again some beautiful passing; Spencer to Leim and Leim to Jamie for goal #2 at 6:06. Then with only 1:08 left in the 1st, Carson had an awesome assist to Jamie to end the first with a 3-0 lead. On to the 2nd period and boys were not disappointing. With 8:33 left Cooper passed the puck to Garrett and in the net it went. Then with 7:43 left in the 2nd Cooper passed the puck to Bryson and that made it 5-0 Coyotes. With 2:35 left Leim made it 6-0 Coyotes. The boys got too comfortable and the third period was beginning to make us parents a little uncomfortable. With 2:41 left in the 3rd period Oro had scored 4 goals. Oro pulled their goalie and with some great hustle, Garrett scored the empty netter. That was the end of the game. 7-4 Coyotes.
Game #4 wasn’t much to write home about. So I will make this one quick and as painless as possible. Our boys tried hard, but they were tired and it really showed. The end result was 2-1 for Oro. The only goal for us was because of Leim’s determination and he got it out front and Jamie poked it in. That’s all I will say about this game!
Game #5 was back in Oro and we as parents were holding our breath. We began the scoring with a pass from Evan to Garrett to put it in the net. That was all the action in the first period. The 2nd period had goals back and forth. Oro first, then one more for them, then a beautiful goal from Bryson. The second ended in a tie 2-2. It didn’t take long for us to take the lead once more. At 14:13 left Leim tucked it in the net to give us the lead. Our last goal was from incredible passing from Spencer to Jack. Oro tried pulling their goalie and using a time out to gather the troops, but they were no match for our boys. The series was done and the Atom Rep Coyotes had once again battled to become the victors!
That my friends was it. The boys had really dug deep, worked through being tired and had somehow managed to win the second round. I am sure anyone watching our regular season would be thinking, who are these new boys? How are they doing this? Only our boys know. Strength comes in many different forms, physical is the obvious one your mind would go to and I would say that yes, our boys can be physically strong. Honestly though, and probably more importantly, they have proved that they are mentally strong. They could have crumbled after the loss and given up, but they knew better. They knew that if they were going to win then they needed to draw from all the different strengths of each player. All Heart, No Fear, Dependable, Bulldog Determination,Grinder, Scary Good, Reliable, Silky Mitts, Smooth, Shifty, Physical and Strong, Super High Skill, High Hockey IQ and Unstoppable. The Boys are now off to face Newcastle, a team we know nothing about. Hopefully, I will be back with many exciting tails from the Quarter Finals!! Go Coyotoes Go!!!!