With Lower Lakes Playoffs and Provincial Playdowns starting
February 6th, the Novice B Lady Rangers were gearing up for a
post-season tune up at the Sweethearts tournament in Orangeville during the
last weekend in January. After a .500 regular season in a very tough division,
the girls were ready to show their determination and team-game against 3 tough
opponents. After a well-played 1-0 loss against rival Grand River in game 1,
the girls enjoyed a few hours of downtime and team bonding at Teen Ranch –
...
... paper airplane contests, parents and players taking advantage of makeshift cots, and caricatures of Coach arriving late for game 1 were among the festivities!
After another tough loss in game 2 to Brampton, the girls doubled-down their determination in game 3 – and while the scoreboard didn’t go our way against North Bay, the girls equaled their regular-season penalty minute total in one game with 4 trips to the box. Coaches and Parents were proud to see proof that female hockey players are nice, but not on the ice!
The bronze medal game pitted us against Grand River, who would also be our first round opponent in playoffs. The girls showcased their grit and determination, tying the game at 1-1 in the second, eventually sending the game into 4-on-4 then 3-on-3 overtime periods, with nothing decided. The first round of shootouts saw no goals scored, and on the fourth shooters the Lady Rangers came away with victory with a stellar save and high glove-side winner. Check out the video of the shootout winner at
Shootout Winner!
Many thanks to all the parents and family who made the trip to Orangeville each day; Coaches couldn’t be more proud of the progress we saw this weekend.