Nov 13, 2023 | Erik Prashaw | 414 views
WE TOOK THE RISE UP CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
What a fantastic trip to Mooretown. The U13 Mudcats pushed themselves to levels of gameplay they didn't know they had. We saw sweat, frustration, surprise, and intense joy.
DAY 1 - We started the tournament out with a large win over the Sarnia Rebels 9-2 which took us by surprise however we knew our second game which was only an hour away from the end of our first won was not going to go as easy as the first. The Petrolia oilers came out and pushed our buttons, our players did not expect the amount of physicality that came at us but we overcame the obstacle with a 7-4 win.
Day 2 - After a small amount of time enjoying the hotels amenities we were back at the arena for a 9am game against the South Kent Lightning who was definitely there to make a statement. They pulled out all stops and made us play like we have never played before, the game was clean, fast and exciting for all, in the end we squeaked by with a win 3-2. At 12:45 we were back on the ice to take on the Mooretown Jr. Flags. This team was rough, we were once again facing a physicality that was not expected, some of our players are still nursing bumps and bruises however we did what we do best, we beat them on the score board with a 7-2 win. with the games being done for the day we went to the hotel to play in the pool, hallway mini stick games, and more.
Day 3 - Once again we had to take on the Mooretown Jr. Flags for the semi finals. This game was ugly to say the least, they did not hold back and a few times our kids were down from being slashed and hacked, the referees (who I normally defend and were great majority of the time) were not helping matters with it. Our players needed to come to the bench and voice their frustrations A LOT. in the end though we saw a victory of 3-1 taking us to the finals.
At 3:30 we were on the ice for the last time, the fans were cheering and the nerves were at their highest with us having to take on the most formidable opponent in the tournament the South Kent Lightning. This team was fast, clean, and organized with what seemed to be spectacular coaching staff. This game was a nail biter which is exactly how a tournament should end. To say our bench was nervous is an understatement, this game could go either way, we had all our players moving as fast as they could and breaking out of our zone in pairs. When we got a head by 2 we relaxed slightly and the Lightning took advantage putting the game with a one point difference, we scored again and with the last minute on the board they pulled their goalie and scoring bringing them back to a one point difference. The panic mode began, with 6 on 5 skaters they were attacking our zone relentlessly and had plenty of shots on net, in a last second effort our Mudcats touched the puck for a single opportunity to ice it and as if it were in slow motion it went RIGHT IN THE NET giving us the win 4-2.
I've been involved with coaching youth sports since 2018 and this was by far the most exciting experience I have ever had, these Mudcats have formed a bond that is so strong that it's such an honor to be a part of this wonderful group of kids. Thank you Mudcats for taking all of us on this amazing journey!!!