Mar 02, 2013 | Joe Heinisch | 491 views
Team Allstate Slays Their Demons
Saturday March 2, 2013
Game Reporter: Jay Nijhuis
Team Allstate Insurance has been on an incredible roll the last couple of weeks. The Boys in Black had won 8 games in a row (including the 5-0 February Freeze Performance) and are undefeated in the last 10 games. The only thing that can take away from all that positive energy is the fact that Schlueter Chevrolet was the opponent in Playoff Game #3.
Schlueter Chevrolet, the only team Team Allstate never beat in the regular season, the Team that beat us in the Christmas Tournament Championship Game, the team standing between us being a good team and a great team. Cue the Rocky music!
A funny thing happened to this reporter at the practice Friday night BEFORE this Clash of the Titans. I was asked jokingly by the Schlueter Chevrolet Coach if I was on a scouting mission as I watched the Gold Team Practice. I smiled and said no, all the time thinking to myself, it might serve you well to stick around and watch us practice because this is not the same team you beat for the Christmas Tournament Title. We are a closer team, more confident team, harder working team and basically have transformed ourselves in the last 10 games. I thought to myself, I hope the Allstate Insurance Team I have been watching the last month is the one that shows up on Saturday morning.
I was not disappointed as the Boys in Black did everything right in the game today. The goaltending from Jack L was incredible with 2 or 3 glove saves that a pro goalie would be proud of. Our defence seemed to know exactly when to pinch in deep and when to back up and break up odd man rushes. They also did an amazing job picking up loose pucks and getting them out of our zone and out of danger. The forwards worked like a pack of Wolves hunting down anything wearing a gold sweater and forechecking like crazy. We caused multiple turnovers, goal scoring chances and most importantly, by being in their end, Schlueter Chevrolet couldn't get any momentum going or speed through the neutral zone.
Elliott D, Nolan S and Captain Joe V scored the 4 goals for us in this game, 3 of those 4 were beautiful top shelf wrist shots and the other goal was a result of hard work in the corners and going hard to the net for a loose puck. The final score of this Playoff games was 4-2 in favour of Team Allstate Insurance. Moving the Boys in Black to 3-0 in the playoffs so far and they have now won 9 Games in a row and are unbeaten in 11.
In the dressing room after the game, Coach Joe said that the boys played like a Rep Team and he was proud of the hard work put in by the whole team as a unit. In the stands you couldn't wipe the smile off of the parents faces as they knew this win was huge for two reasons.
Number 1: It gave us a better chance to finish in the top 4 teams in the Playoff Round Robin and
Number 2: we have now planted a seed of doubt in a Schlueter Chevrolet Team who thought they had the Championship locked up.
The next playoff game is Sunday March 3/13 at 1:30pm as Team Allstate faces off against The Kitchener Rangers at Albert McCormick West. Let's not forget, it was Team Allstate that knocked the Rangers out of the Christmas Tournament so revenge might be a key motivational factor for them.