Feb 10, 2014 | geofffellows | 1050 views
Sweetheart Tournament Report
Rebel Ravens Go Undefeated against Top Teams from Southwestern Ontario!
The Rebel Ravens came into the tournament still searching for their 'A game', but put together three outstanding efforts to go undefeated.
Game one was played Friday afternoon against the host Stoney Creek Sabres. The Sabres were a very physical team that played hard in all zones, and the Ravens matched the home team's intensity, carrying the play in the first period. The Sabres pushed back in the second, and the third was a back and forth affair. A total of 14 minutes in penalties were handed out, which is a testament to the spirit both teams brought onto the ice. Ultimately, both goalies played great games and the outcome was a scoreless draw. Stephanie was chosen as the player of the game for the Ravens, looking like a female Jonathan Bernier - calm and focused, she controlled the puck well, gave up few if any rebounds, and gave her teammates great confidence.
In game two on Sunday morning, the girls faced off against a physically imposing team from Clarington. An early goal energized the bench, and the Ravens played hard to maintain the lead. Clarington managed to tie on a "bang-bang" play, and that seemed to energize their team - they carried the play for much of the second half of the game. Stephanie, however, held the team in, turning away several golden scoring opportunities. Natalie, who was chosen as the player of the game for Waterloo, cleared the puck out of the zone again and again, often using her skating ability to get clear of her opponents. Mckenna also had a strong game, almost giving Waterloo the win with a great steal and breakaway chance, only to lose the puck in the snowed up ice as she crossed the blueline into the attacking zone.
Game three saw the team play the Cambridge White squad, who had beaten the Ravens twice previously. The girls worked hard, outplaying Cambridge for most of the game, but goals were hard to come by. Mackenzie finally broke through on a nice passing play from Sofie and Mckenna, to give the team the goal and a well deserved 1-0 win. Once again Stephanie played her best, making one particularly impressive toe save late in the game to preserve the victory. Victoria was chosen as the player of the game, making several great defensive plays with a strong stick and powerful skating.
Unfortunately, the team's point total from the round robin was not enough to move on to the championship round, but the coaching staff could not have been prouder or happier with the overall effort, as individuals and as a team - everyone made a contribution. Both finalists for the eventual championship came from the A pool - the quality of opponents speaks to the level of hockey the girls played this weekend.
Way to go Rebel Ravens - let's keep this roll going!