Congrats to all the Players, Coaches on the 50th Mooretown Juvenile Silver Stick Championship!!
The Boys traveled to Sarnia this past weekend and competed in the 50th Mooretown Juvenile Silver Stick. Games kicked off Thursday night at 6pm with the team taking part in the Opening Ceremonies. It is an experience like no other with introductions, bagpipes, anthem and opening face-off to be standing on the ice and part of 50 years of history.
Game 1 saw the Riverkings come out slow but once the legs got going from the drive up, going down early by two goals but were able to come away with a 9-3 victory. On Friday the team had the final two games of the round robin 1:30 vs Ingersoll and 7:30 vs Thorold in a match up of Beechey League teams. Both Games the Riverkings would come out of the gate slow digging themselves a hole being down by two nothing. There was just something about having to fight back this weekend. The young men would never give up and kept fighting winning both games by the same score 5-2.
With the round robin and the seeding complete Haldimand earned the #1 seed. Setting up a match up with Newcastle in the semifinals. Yet again the boys allowed Newcastle to get the early jump 2-0, before the Riverkings answered with a goal heading into the flood down a goal. The 3rd period with the ice still wet, the River Kings tied it up seconds into final frame. That started each line and dominated the 3rd period with 6 goals and taking the game sending them to the championship. Newcastle battled hard with a short bench and gave the River Kings trouble early. Newcastle was a class act, played hard to the end, shaking hands and congratulating us on moving on a very respectful and sportsmanlike team.
Championship Sunday was now upon us. Setting up a showdown with last years OMHA champions, Thorold Blackhawks. The game was delayed with a quadruple Overtime in the earlier championship game pushing the start time back an hour....maybe this would break the jinx of the slow starts.... The founder of Mooretown International Juvenile Silver Stick Bill Riley, would always make a stop with the teams before they head out for championship games. Offering some encouragement and thanking the players and staff for coming and playing the last years minor hockey offers. With that the puck dropped and the River Kings were determined getting the games opening goal. A change for the guys, but Thorold would answer and take the lead 2-1. The River Kings would answer late in the second, tie the game at 2-2 before the break. The game went back and forth, finally in the last 4 minutes the Kings would break the tie after a mad scramble in front of the Thorold net, the Kings would add an empty netter to seal the deal.
Congrats to all the players and staff on a phenomenal 4 days of hockey. To arrange work commitments, school and commit yourselves to be at all 4 days shows the dedication of these young men. Coming together and gelling as a family. The Character from fighting your way back in games. Playing hard between the whistles to the sportsmanship and respect shown from all teams we played shaking hands, tapping on the shin pads was great.
