Mar 17, 2014 | Colin Schmidt | 1818 views
Warriors Split Weekend Games
The Hishon's Custom Tier 1 Novice team played the final two games of double round robin playoffs this past weekend, facing the other two teams battling for the fourth and final playdown spot. A loss in either game would end the season for the Warriors and any combination of a tie and win would secure the final spot in the playdowns.
On Saturday, the Warriors welcomed the Sarnia Jr. Sting to town for an afternoon match and escaped with a thrilling come-from-behind 4-3 victory. Jonas Schmidt led the offense with 3 goals, including the game winner. Dan Van Straaten added the other Warrior goal and Owen Holloway added two assists with singles from Ethan Martin, Van Straaten, and Haden Frayne.
On Sunday, the Warriors visited the London Bandits in a winner-takes-all playoff finale. Trailing 5-1 by the middle of the third and the Warriors net empty, the team was able to score 2 quick goals to cut the Bandit lead to 5-3 but that was as close as it would get. The Bandits added one into the empty net to make the final score 6-3. Schmidt scored one goal and added an assist, Sam Jeffery and Van Straaten added the other goals and Haden Frayne added one assist in the season finale.
To the players:
'We'll get 'em next year'...thanks to all of you for all of the effort, focus, and smiles this season. To all of the players who didn't see their name in game summaries regularly, I'd like to take a moment to thank them for their strong team play and continuous effort throughout the season. Strong two-way play from Jack Zehr, Tyson Talsma, Liam Hill, and Cole Meadows along with consistent defensive play from Thomas Sheldon, Avery Thurston, and Luke Zorgdrager were key ingredients to the outcome of every game. The team-first sacrifice by Wes Duiker and Sam Jeffery who played almost the entire second half of the season on defense, despite a preference and ability to contribue on foward was also critical to the team's success. Hard work, good positional play, solid defensive play, and a team-first attitude do not show up on a game sheet, but they are usually the difference between a good team and a great team. Keep bringing your 'best' to every game, kids! For everyone (parents, players, and other coaches), thanks for the fun memories and opportunity to be part of your child's season- Coach Colin