The lessons learnt in a hockey game are often very much aligned with the lessons learnt in life. Sometimes these lessons are hard to accept and can appear unfair but at the end of the day you can only control yourself and how you react to these lessons.
So, as much as I would like to blast the officiating that
ended the Waterloo Wolves tournament in the semifinals and question the timing
of the calls and need to make the calls, we will focus on what we can control
and put our attention to the small details in the game. We will accept we can
be better and will be better.
In fact, we left the Best of Best a better team than we
entered. And that is most important.
Game 1: Halton Hills Thunder
The Wolves started strong and dominated the game, earning a
3 to 0 victory. Jake Howard picked up his first shutout of the season. Ben
Schofield saw goals in back-to-back games with his goal. Casey Ross scored his
first of the season and Hiatt Rich once again found the back of the net with
Logan Murtha and Carter Talboom getting assists. The team also welcomed Cole
Gardiner as an AP in the tournament.
Game 2: Oakville Rangers Blue
Once again, the team came out of the gate on fire and the
coaches were impressed with the team’s jump. The red-hot Schofield had another
goal with Dell Wang earning the assist. Ross scored from Grayson Seiling and
Owen Ottens. Christopher Ding sent a rocket in from Talboom and Schofield. Seiling
had a goal from Allan Wang and Wang, D on a gorgeous play and finish. Jackson
Hunter played a solid game for his team boxing players from the net. Ciaran
Guitton-Quayle had a lot of action and was spot on in net for the team.
Game 3: Orangeville Flyers
The Flyers needed a win to stay alive and came out on fire. But
the Wolves weathered the storm and earned a 6 to 3 win over them. Reed Rozema
came to life for the Wolves with a pair of gorgeous goals. Rozema first scored
from Cam Murray and then from Ben Sawyer. Both of his goals looked unstoppable.
Wang, D was another force with a pair of goals as well. His first goal was set
up by Ding and Ross and his second from Seiling and Wang, A. Talboom had a
fantastic bar down goal from Schofield. Howard earned another win.
Semi-Final: Ottawa Valley Seven
The frustrating part is the team played well enough to win
the game but made costly errors. First, a five-player line change all at same
time for some reason unknown which led to Guitton-Quayle being left hung out to
dry. The team had no panic down a goal and Sawyer tied the game from Captain Murtha and
Rich. The game was hard fought back and forth, and the first two periods
featured only a single penalty, and a lot of leeway was allowed as it should be
in a semi final game. Then, in the third period with 7 minutes left, the parade
started. A parade that featured only the Waterloo Wolves. A total of 10 minutes
was called featuring a pair of 5 on 3 opportunities that eventually resulted in
the winning goal for the seven. Listen, there were infractions by the Wolves.
Some you must call. Some you don’t have to call. None of the calls, however,
did the Wolves have control over but they did have control over themselves and
perhaps could have done things differently. Safer. Less walking that lone so to
speak.
The silver lining, so to speak, was the early exit,
hopefully allowed the Wolves families to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with family.
The coaches would like to thank everyone for their willingness to give up such
important quality time. We are thankful for the players’ attitude and efforts
and are excited to see continued growth in them all.
Happy Thanksgiving.