Atom Reps Weather the Cyclones on Their Way to the OMHA Finals, News, Atom Rep, 2014-2015 (South Bruce Minor Hockey)

This Team is part of the 2014-2015 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Mar 08, 2015 | telzinga | 1464 views
Atom Reps Weather the Cyclones on Their Way to the OMHA Finals
What a crazy ride with an amazing outcome to one of the best hockey series this group of kids have been a part of.  The South Bruce Atom Reps advance to the OMHA final with an exciting game 5. It was 3-2 overtime victory against a strong and determined team from Stayner.

The Atom Reps have played 9 games in 15 days and still managed to pull off an incredible win.  With home ice advantage and the kids fired up ready for battle, game 1 started with fire and determination by both teams as they battled hard to gain the lead.  It would be midway through the first period for the South Bruce squad to open the scoring to take the lead.  Two minutes later South Bruce would strike again to go ahead by 2, but with grit and determination the Stayner team would press hard and get on the board with less than a minute to go.  Twenty-eight seconds later Stayner would strike again to even the game going into the break.  The third period saw neither team ready to wave the white flag.  The third would find both goal tenders settling in for the long haul as no pucks would get by either one, forcing the game to overtime.  With just under 2 minutes into OT the Stayner squad would jump on a juicy rebound that would find its way past the South Bruce net minder giving Stayner the victory in game 1.

Game 2 saw both teams finding opportunity to get extra rest in the penalty box with the Stayner team winning that battle.  South Bruce would take advantage and get on the score board midway through the second period.  South Bruce would score again to give them a 2 goal lead going into the break.  South Bruce would find a way to get one more before the final buzzer of the third period giving the South Bruce team the win and a 1-1 series tie.

With just over 5 days to recover and calm down, if you call only playing two other games that week a rest.  With home ice advantage the Stayner team would once again travel to South Bruce for game 3.   Game 3 would see both teams a little calmer taking fewer penalties, while still putting the pressure on as each team was hungry to take the series lead.  South Bruce would strike first at the five minute mark of the second period.  Not discouraged at all by the goal, the Stayner squad would battle back and tied the game less than two minutes later.  South Bruce would find the back of the net again late in the second to give them a 1 goal lead heading into the third.  The third period saw many end to end plays by both teams with neither team ready to waver, but the South Bruce squad would jump on a loose puck that would find its way across the goal line adding to their lead giving the South Bruce team a 3-1 win and a 2-1 series lead.

With the hopes to clinch the series in 4, the South Bruce team headed to Stayner.  Both teams started out hard and battled for the puck regardless of where it was.  Stayner would find their way onto the score board first midway through the first and again with less than two minutes left in the first.  Not discouraged the South Bruce team would answer back early in the second to cut the lead to one.  Still pressing hard the bounces would favour the Stayner team as they would answer back a short time later to regain their 2 goal lead.  Stayner would get 2 more late in the second to give them a 4 goal lead heading to the third.  South Bruce came out hard in the third getting lots of shots on goal, but would not be rewarded for their efforts as the Stayner goalie found a way to stop every puck that came his way.  The South Bruce goalie also found a way to shut the door not allowing any pucks to cross the goal line in the third, ending the game in a 5-1 victory for the Stayner team, tying the series at 2.

Game five was a game of games with the South Bruce team getting little to no rest having played 3 games earlier in the week, including an away game the night before in Mitchell.  Sickness and ski trips throughout the week did not allow for much rest either.  All I can say is what a game, worth the price of admission.  If you were not there, why not, what was so important?!  Both teams came to win and it was obvious it was going to be exciting from the moment the first puck hit the ice.  Great speed, end to end action, heads up passing, incredible back checking, determined fore checking, strong defensive walls and stupendous goal tending were visible by both teams as both teams battled for the win to earn a spot in the OMHA championship.  It took until the final minute of the first for South Bruce team to earn the first marker on the score board.  Stayner would answer back with the equalizer midway through the second to end the period dead locked at 1.  South Bruce would come out hard and fast after the break, capitalize on an opportunity just 25 seconds in to take the lead.  Both teams would continue to battle with neither team wanting to lose.  Stayner would find a way to beat the South Bruce goalie on a power play to tie the game at 2 with less than five minutes to go in the third.  Three periods of play would not solve this battle between the two evenly matched teams.  It would take two and a half minutes into OT for a point shot from the South Bruce team to find its way past the Stayner net minder to give the South Bruce team the victory.

Point getters for the series were, Ashlyn B., Tyler H., Gil S., Noah W., Nigel K., Ethan D., Zach V., Jon E. and Blake E.  Superb goal tending by Landon W., allowing only 11 goals in 120 shots.  I would also like to recognize strong defensive play by Dylan J., strong fore checking and back checking play by both Tyson D. and Kaiden C. and support by the backup net minder Justin D. for all the hard work that made this series victory possible.  Great work and don’t stop skating!

Way to go team!  And might I just say to the Stayner team; what a great series, - every game was hard fought, be proud!

The Atom Rep team would also like to congratulate all the other South Bruce teams heading to WOAA and OMHA finals!!  GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!!!!