The Wild completed a very successful regular season and were
rewarded by making the “A” playoffs.
Unfortunately for the Wild, they were placed into the Pool
of Death having to take on 2 of the best teams in the league, the Manvers
Mustangs and the Lindsay Muskies.
In the first 2 games the Wild played some of their hockey all season but were unable to match the fire-power of the Mustangs as they fell by scores of 3-0 and 8-0. The Mustangs with their “Rep” level roster, came into the series with just 1 loss all season while scoring over 7 goals per game.
In our 3rd game we battled the Lindsay Muskies. The Wild came out a little sluggish in this one and the Muskies took full advantage as they handed the Wild their 3rd straight loss by a score of 5-0.
Down but not out, the Wild redeemed themselves in the final game with a rematch against the Lindsay Muskies.
This time the Wild brought their “A” game playing one of their best games of the season. The Wild put together a full 30 minute effort en-route to an instense 1-0 victory!
The Wild were able to get on the board late in the 1st period when Slammer battled past 2 Mustang defenders and blasted one into the net with just 0.8 seconds left on the clock.
The score would remain 1-0 until late in the 3rd period when Slammer was awarded a penalty shot. Slammer made a great move and beat the goalie cleanly but the shot rang off the goal post.
The Muskies would battle us hard to get the equalizer, pulling their goalie in the final 2 minutes.
With just 30 seconds left on the clock the Wild got caught in deep going for the empty net allowing 4 Musky forwards to race towards our end with only Kirky standing between them and Half-Price.
But for the first time this season, the hockey gods were on our side as the Muskies would go offside on the play.
The Wild would hang on for the final 30 seconds and complete the 1-0 win to end the season. Half-Price was in the zone on this one making several big time saves including several breakaways to earn his 3rd shut-out of the season.
A great way to end what has been a remarkable regular season and playoffs for the Wild.
From the start of the season until now it is truly amazing to look at how much this team has progressed.
Last season the Wild finished the season with just 4 Wins, 31 losses and 3 ties in 38 games. Coming into this season the team lost 6 players from that team including 4 of our top scorers from last season, 1 of our top defenseman and one of our goalies. At the first practice we saw 5 new players of which some had never played hockey and others had not played in more than a year. Needless to say the coaches had some pretty low expectations as to how good this team could become.
Now 29 games later, this team has come together and have surpassed all expectations. The team now has 13 Wins, 15 Losses and 1 Tie. If we take into account that 6 of those losses came against the “Rep” teams of Durham and Manvers our record becomes 13-9-1 against the rest of the league.
A truly incredible result.
Not only has the team won more than we could have ever expected from the beginning of the season, but the kids have really formed a strong team. Every player on the team congratulates each other when a player does well and pats each other on the back when we make mistakes. Every player has fully embraced the “team” concept and every player contributes to the success of this team.
Wild Bill in his 1st season has shown a rapid rise in both skill and tenacity. This season, he has truly earned the nickname “Wild” Bill with his relentless attack. He has been getting closer and closer to getting his 1st goal and has been a beast with his hard fore-checking and back-checking.
Powsy also came into the season having never played hockey and has become one of the top goal scorers on the team. His stick handling and his shot have developed at an unprecedented level.
Pulley is another rookie on the team who has truly amazed us this season. At the first practice she told us she did not like to skate backwards. Now a few months later she has taken on the role of being an everyday defenseman (and a good one at that). Her skating has improved drastically and her no fear attitude has left many opposing players lying on their butts when she knocks them off the puck.
Vonzi returned to the Wild after a 1 year hiatus and never missed a beat as he became a reliable goal scorer. He is a fierce competitor on the attack. His play is reminiscent of the legendary “Rocket” Richard in how his eyes light up when he sees a loose puck in the offensive zone.
Hudsy also returned to the Wild this year and has really developed into a tough checker. He battles hard along the boards and in the corners. Like Wild Bill, he is still looking for his first goal and has had a ton of close chances but just hasn’t had the bounces go his way on the scoreboard. His skating and his shot have improved a ton and it is just a matter of time before the pucks start going into the back of the net for him.
Reesor has developed into a steady defender and has shown some offensive flair this season including his first goal at the Innisfil tournament this year. His hockey sense continues to improve with every game, and he has shown a lot of improvement with his shot and his skating speed.
Termi-Nater has shown a ton of improvement both in terms of offensive and defensive skills. He came into the season as Nater and is coming out of the season as the Termi-Nater! By the end of season, he has become a tough reliable defenseman much like a modern-day Scott Stevens! But not only is he tough defensively he also developed his scoring touch during the season allowing the team the flexibility to use him on forward or defense.
Crusty continues to improve at both ends of the rink. Like Termi-Nater he is a reliable defender when called upon to play defense but has also developed his offensive skills as a forward scoring some big goals for the Wild this season.
Payner has made tremendous strides this season. She has continued to become a more aggressive player as the season progresses and has shown a lot of improvement controlling the puck. She also does a very good job of playing her position.
Lynchey continues to improve in all areas of his game allowing him to play multiple positions. He has developed into a strong skater who can effectively play both center or defense and is tough on the puck. His ability to angle off the attacking players has greatly improved this season, as has his ability to carry the puck.
Kirky was a strong stay at home defenseman last season and has added offense to his skill-set. Kirky has developed in many ways this season including knowing when and when not to carry the puck. His ability to read the plays has greatly improved this season especially when picking his spots to go on the attack. His hard working attitude earned him the “C” on his jersey this season and his steady earned him a few call-ups to the Atoms to this season.
Slammer has shown a ton of improvement in using his shoulders drive to the net. His skating has improved to where he is now able to use the boards to push himself off to get around defenders. We have seen his offensive numbers improve drastically throughout the season. Like Kirky, his hard working attitude earned him an “A” on his jersey and several call-ups to the Atom Red team this season.
Last, but not least we have Half-Price. Though small in stature, he continues to play a big game. He has shown a lot of improvement in terms of coming out to the top of the crease to make himself big and has mastered the butterfly style with his quick kick saves. He is fearless in the net showing the willingness to put his body on the line to make a big save.
The improvement that this team has shown, both from a “team” and “individual” perspective has been nothing short of remarkable. Every player plays an important role and shows respect for both their teammates and their coaches. Each kid brings a positive attitude to the rink for every game and practice and leaves with a big smile and that same positive attitude when they leave the rink. The coaches could not ask for more.
It has been an honor working with these kids this season. Being part of the development of these kids has been awesome. Speaking on behalf of the coaches, we could not be any prouder of each and every player and the team as a whole.
We still have some hockey left before we call it a year as we have our final tournament at the end of March and hopefully some exhibition games in the next few weeks to keep the fun going.
Keep up the great work as we finish the season strong. Let’s go Wild!!