Mar 25, 2019 | Melanie Jespersen | 654 views
Victory for Waterloo White
Well the start of the series against Waterloo Black did not start off how the Waterloo Wolves Minor Bantam MD White squad had hoped, but it certainly had a positive end result. Waterloo White secured themselves a spot in the Alliance Championships in London in April after winning the series against Waterloo Black.
As mentioned it was a bit of a shaky start for White as they faced their hometown competition Tuesday. Although the Wolves were ready for a battle it seems that Black had their number. The entire White squad played a solid game of hockey: pressure on the opponent, quick shots on their goalie, digging in the corners and chipping over the blue line, but Black was ever present. There was just no puck luck for White as Black seemed to find a rainbow after each shot. With a final score of 4-0 for Black, White would need to regroup to prepare for game #2.
And that they did. The practice on Thursday was skillfully directed by the coaching staff to optimize ever play, every pass and every position. From the moment their pre-game warmup began, you could tell the players wanted this win. They were not ready for their season to be done. As the puck dropped Friday evening Waterloo White had a win in their sights. There was no giving up and no backing down. Waterloo White was relentless as they chased down the puck, took multiple shots on net and put pressure on each and every Waterloo Black player. There was no one player who made magic happen, but rather the complete team who earned the win. Final score was a close 3-2 win for White. Enough to ensure the season continued and a third game needed.
Sunday seemed like the longest day ever. Parents, players and coaches needed to maintain their energy, focus and drive throughout the entire day with a late 8pm start time for game #3. There was no denying that both teams wanted the victory; however, only one team could earn the position to advance to the Alliance Championships. Each coaching staff had their own tactics and strategy to outplay, outmatch their opponent; however, it would come down to the players. Both teams took to the ice with passion and as the first period began you could tell this was going to be a tight game. I could go into the minute by minute details but really the highlights are this:
-goal tending for both teams was spectacular. Simmons and Hulka made some amazing saves but it only takes one missed save to make the difference.
-defence on both ends was impressive. The strength, presence and determination to protect the net and clear the zone was second to none.
-the forwards skated with a purpose and shot with precision. Both teams stepped up their game in an effort to earn the win.
When I asked a few of the players on Waterloo White who they felt the Player of the Game was their response was:
"It was a team effort." "No one player made the difference, we played well together."
That is the game changer right there. Waterloo White played as a team and earned the win as a TEAM.
Congratulation Waterloo Wolves Minor Bantam MD White. 1-0 victory!