Victory! What a Way to End a Great Season..., News, Novice Ice Wolves, 2010-2011, BB (Waterloo Minor Hockey)

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This Team is part of the 2010-2011 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Apr 12, 2011 | Steve McGeown | 1842 views
Victory! What a Way to End a Great Season...
The stage was set.  The Alliance Championship final game held at Stratford's historic William Allman Arena built in 1924 and considered one of the finest old arenas in Canada.  The two teams, Waterloo Ice Wolves, and the London Bandits, each dominating their respective leagues, but only one could claim Novice Tier 3 supremacy.

Waterloo Ice Wolves came out flying.  Fore-checking was relentless.  Early in the first period, Ryan McGeown backhanded a shot into the top hand corner set up by Kyle Maloney and Mike Rintche and the crowd went wild.  Kyle Maloney would hit the mark on a breakaway from Mike Rincthe, and then Kyle would bring it home again on a setup from Ryan McGeown and Mike Rintche.  The score was 3-0 before the game was halfway over.

But it wasn't just the scoring.  The defensive corps of Jake Anderson, Jacob Ehrhardt, Trevor Caldwell, Hayden Steer, Josh Reist and Tyler Morrison quickly closed the gap and angled off key players on the opponent side all game long.  The result was not a single shot on goal registered by the Bandits in the first period. 

The Novice Waterloo Ice Wolves played their trademark team game.  Relentless fore-checking, tireless back-checking, and excellent puck movement.  Rolling three lines on this team is considered a strength, and was the key to the game, shutting down the very talented but fatigued individuals on their opponents side.  Everybody on the team contributed immensely.

Despite a few bad bounces that allowed London back in the game at 3-2, including a very late own goal,  the Ice Wolves looked confident, poised and determined as a team.  The fore-checking was so driven that London couldn't even get out of its own end in the last minute and a half to pull the goalie.  Of course, as usual, Brayden Shomphe was the king of cool, having to come up with some big league saves despite being inactive for long stretches. 

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We have so many of these on ice team pictures featuring shiny plastic this year, its hard to keep them all straight... but here is the latest one.   Hopefully I can get a picture of the Ice Wolves Moms in their new Jennifer Anniston inspired fashion statements...


The road to the final was paved through a great weekend of hockey. 

The Ice Wolves opened up the round-robin portion of the tournament with a 4-1 win against West London.  Goals from Callahan Reesor, Kyle Maloney, Cooper Way and Sam Rintche. Assists to Ethan Hepditch, Cooper Way, Ryan McGeown, Ryan Hanson and Samuel Van Wyck with two helpers.

Game two against the West league Champion London Bandits saw the Ice Wolves hold on for an exciting 3-2 victory. Goals scored by Kyle Maloney with 2, and Cooper Way.  Brayden Shomphe could be credited with giving us that win.

After two wins and earning a bye to the final the Ice Wolves lost in game 3 to Kitchener 3-1. The lone goal scored by Michael Rintche and assisted by Ryan McGeown and Kyle Maloney.  Thanks to the Kitchener Rangers white team for the wake-up call.