Wolves are International Silver Stick Finals Champions - Will appear in the Hockey Hall of Fame!
The Waterloo Atom MD Wolves have battled their way to the championship,
and have claimed their place in history – they will even be featured in the
Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto! ...
If I only had three words to describe the tournament I’d say “anything but easy” fits nicely. Game 1 saw the Wolves arrive for an early morning session without their usual energy and drive. Not only were they shut out for the first time this season, the Arapahoe Warriors from Colorado dealt them an eye opening 5-0 loss. The Wolves, knowing they can do better, returned fire in game 2 against Arrows Hockey from New York, winning 6-0. The next morning, the boys would show up for another early affair against the Collingwood Blackhawks. Like the previous early morning game, the boys would find themselves behind, but this time they were able to claw their way back and score the go-ahead goal late in the third for a 3-2 win.
This then set the stage for a thrilling quarter final against the Strongsville Mustangs from Ohio. The Wolves would jump out to a 3-1 lead, only to see it slip away in the third, with a 3-3 tie recorded at the end of regulation time. The Wolves would then participate in their first shootout of the season. Preston M. would go first and bury it. Daniel L-C pushed his nerves aside and kicked out his pad to make a big stop on the Mustang’s first shooter – a loud roar was heard throughout the arena. The Mustang’s would score their next 2, but Hunter M and Colten T would both put theirs in the net to secure the victory!
The Semi-Finals pitted the Wolves against the East Lambton Eagles. The Eagles would strike first, but the Wolves would respond with a vengeance, scoring the next 4. The Eagles would add one, and the Wolves would put in 2 empty-netters and the game would end in a 6-2 win for the Wolves. Josh C would turn in a very solid game between the pipes, tossing aside many great shots and earning himself a loud round of applause in the dressing room.
This morning the Wolves faced the West London Hawks in the Finals. As with the last engagement between these two teams, this was another one for the ages! The two teams battled relentlessly at each other for almost 2 periods with both sides not willing to give up an inch. Late in the second, the Wolves would finally put one on the board. The third period would feature Daniel L-C all but doing handstands to keep the puck out of his goal – he faced more shots that period than the other two combined – never wavering, even for a second! The Hawks would put intense pressure throughout the final 7 minutes and the Wolves scrambled to contain the action that West London threw at them. In the end, Waterloo would weather the storm and hold on to the 1-0 lead to take the championship! Our two goaltenders were called on to accept the Silver Stick, banner and trophy.
Through all the ups and downs, the boys kept their heads on straight and came up with some great hockey in the clutch. Well done Gentlemen, this was a full team effort and all of us on the coaching staff are very proud of every one of you! Given the roar from the stands, I suspect parents are every bit as proud of you too!
-Coach James