Elora Red Shirts prevail for Rec Hockey Championship

Solid team chemistry pushed the Red Team past the returning Gold team champs in the finals of the Elora Mens Recreational Hockey League recently.

The best of three series featured three overtimes, rough stuff, highlight reels goals, and off the charts saves by goalies Craig Lantz for Red and Tim Pyke on Gold.

In Game one Red tough guy Morgan Reay had many visitations with Gold enforcer Henry Walser.

The score oscillated and remained tied at regulation. Shawn Watters on the red squad endured a nasty gash but played on with no delay for a band aid.  Two overtime periods solved nothing. But early in the third OT Gold’s Paul Belford broke loose and made a nice backhand move for the 4-3 win.

The March Break game was controversial as Red team were to be missing six players and Gold wanted to play on. This after last season’s championship spring break contest was post poned as Gold’s divine sharpshooter Merf Bauman was away.

Luckily Red GM Todd Uhrig convinced a few players to stay home from Disneyland and the game went on as scheduled.  

Game two was a do or die game for Red. The pregame speech by bench boss David Alves was lame but player coach William Deboer worked magic with the lines.  Again the Gold squad pushed the contest to double overtime before Red chemistry cooked up an OT marker for the 5-4 win.

The deciding Game three was a spirited affair with goals called back, argued off-sides, crosschecks, goal crease altercations, slap shots, and take-downs.

Referees Carl Herder and Dick Lodder took a “let them play” stance.  Despite stellar play by Kevin Brohman, Dave Hodgkiss, and Chris Murray and offence from Mark Molinari and Uhrig, Red was down a goal with time running out.  

The bench chemistry was upbeat as young power forward Dave Vanderlaan rallied the team with a classic cheer “We can do this boys”.   

The hockey spirits answered with a disputed face-off at center that allowed Red the play for the extra attacker.  A heroic odd-man rush ensued and a beauty of a Gilbert Perrault-like backhand by Red team speedster Terry Hoelscher knotted the score at 2-2 just before time ran out.   

In OT being on the right side of hockey momentum is a wonderful thing.  Red showered the Gold with point shots and goalie Pyke flip-flopped like a cod in the net expertly keeping Gold in it.

Then Lantz made a breakaway save for Red that seemed to forecast the outcome as again the artillery started in the Gold end.  Red hard core rookie blue liner Nate Martin directed a low shot towards the net where Chris “Mad Dog” Matlock redirected the puck for the 3-2 OT championship tally.  

The roast beef at the league wrap up party at Alves tasted just a little better than usual with the Rec League trophy on the mantel.

A hearty toast was made to the Gold team, League President Tim Pyke and Treasurer Ron Koniuch for providing us all with the chance at “going to the show”.

Their work is much appreciated as are league referees Dale Taylor, Dave Evans, Dick Lodder, and Carl Herder for taking all those creative suggestions during the season.  Now the anticipation grows towards the 2014 Fall draft and the season opener in September 2014.

 

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