Headed into this season, the
Waterloo Wolves had more questions than answers.
Could the only 4 returning players
carry the team? Could the incoming players perform above their single A placing
the previous season? Could the players who elected to play BB produce at AA?
Did the team have solid enough goalies?
Well, after 3 championships in
tournament play, a league leading 21 wins to date (and counting), a league
leading 0.833-win percentage, a league leading PLUS 74 goal differentials, a
league leading 0.723 goals for percentage and being a point away from clinching
League Champions, I dare to say the Wolves have answered all those questions
and more.
Yet, they are still underdogs to
many and that sits just fine with the team.
Over the weekend, the Wolves took
two significant steps towards League Champions with a 3 to 1 win over the Brantford
99ers and a 4 to 1 win over the rival Kitchener Jr Rangers.
Against the 99ers, Reed Rozema
opened the scoring for the team from Connor Wilson and Casey Ross. Jacob
Shaughnessy scored from Rozema and Jack Mayne put the final touches on them
from Keegan Weatherdon.
Against Kitchener, Ben Morton opened
the scoring shorthanded after Weatherdon sprung him up ice. The game winner
came off Ethan Kralik’s stick with a great effort and pass by Ross. Weatherdon
added a pair of goals with his first from Wilson and the send unassisted.
The goaltending clinic from Ciaran
Guitton-Quayle and Jake Howard continued over the weekend. Guitton-Quayle got
the win over the 99ers and was stellar late in the game to earn the win. Howard
picked up Player of the Game Honors with his heroics in net against the
Rangers.
No team can win as many games as the
Wolves without several super important clogs in the machine that do not appear
on stat sheets. You will not see the Allan Wang back check on the stat card.
Logan Murtha and Jack Smith’s consistent tough play guarding the zone won’t
appear on the stat sheet. Nor will the evasive and effective plays Owen Miloje
and Christopher Ding pulled off be on the stat sheets. And Jack Gardner’s
impressive energy, gap control and relentless play will not be there either. But
the Wolves do not win without them.
It will be important that the Wolves
come ready to play this weekend and earn that needed point to win the League
sooner than later. The job is not completed, and it is only a first step towards
the team’s banner dream but a great first step. With each step these hard working
players march towards that banner and prove to everyone they are the team to
beat!
Go Wolves!