Parry Sound – Saturday, January 3, 2015
14-0, ORO
The Novice Thunder finally returned home on Saturday after
our 4-month long road trip. To begin, I
would like to thank all my players and parents.
I applaud everyone’s commitment on getting to the rink for all practices
and games no matter what time or part of the county we were in!
The Thunder opened the season with a match against Parry Sound and we finished our regular season with the same determined and competitive squad.
The hockey Gods once again were smiling down on the Thunder today. Players were firing on all cylinders. Today, the kids put on a full display of offensive skills. Fans and coaches were witness to great puck movement and some great individual efforts. Logan and Caden wowed the excited crowd with some great individual efforts. Their puck skills are off the charts and led to several highlight goals. These two boys also showed great team game as their jersey numbers littered the “Assist” column on the game sheet.
The line of Jack, Devin and Taylor were clicking all day. This line has played together for most of the season and developed some real chemistry. Devin was a force all day long in the face-off circle and on the backcheck. His great hustle to break-up Parry Sound rushes led to multiple offensive chances and was the prime reason for a four-point afternoon.
Jack is like a shark when he is around the net. His ability to jump on loose pucks and hammer them into the back of the net is uncanny. Jack- I want you to keep circling visiting team waters ready to strike. Your predatory instincts led to several goals and helpers today!
Taylor has been at his offensive best as the regular season closes out for the Thunder. It has been great to watch his puck confidence grow over the last half of the season. His ability to wait the extra second to let the play develop before distributing the puck to a teammate is a great skill and led to a four apple afternoon.
Since returning from his east coast Christmas vacation, Sammy has been an unstoppable force at both ends of the rink. His nerves of steel and great skating have taken him deep into enemy territory to strike the back of the net and return to friendlier confines unblemished. Sammy – I love your courage and compete level!
Noal has been our most consistent player over the last 6 games and a real pleasure to watch. His play at both ends of the rink has been spot on and brings a smile to this coach’s face. I trust Noal in all situations on the ice. Noal’s goal today was a real highlight. After some great work by Caden and Sam to feed him the puck, he attacked the Parry Sound end with great speed. With a defender approaching, he fired a “howitzer” of a shot just under the crossbar that the goalie never saw coming. An amazing shot!
Now to the boys on the back end...the unsung heroes of the team...the guardians of the meshed cage. I have a real soft spot for you guys, as this was the position this coach played many years ago when I was your age. All four of you are consummate team players.
Nick is one of the smoothest skating 8-year olds I have ever seen. His courage to take on taller enemy opponents is inspiring to the team. This coach loves our pre-game chats. Your comments make it clear that your only focus is protecting the house. Nick- you will always be a great defender, but there is an offensive side to your game as well. You read the play extremely well and identify passing lanes quickly which led to multiple assist games throughout the season and today as well.
Wesley has been a standout on the blue line all season long and today was no exception. His consistency and effort are something I can count on each and every game. His confidence has grown throughout the season to the point where he feels he can lead rushes up the ice to create scoring chances. I love watching this new aspect in his game. Good teams always have leaders on the blue line and Wesley certainly is a team leader.
Owen the Tank, I’ve said this in a previous article: I would not want to play against you! Whenever you are on the ice, you make life extremely difficult for the opposition. I’ve always admired your competitiveness and willingness to battle – a trait that all coaches love in their players. The way you distribute the puck to attacking forwards in motion is a skill that you have worked extremely hard at and it is really starting to pay off for the team. Keep up the great work, Owen. We are really going to need you in the second half of the season!
I touched on Logan’s offensive instincts earlier. They are off the chart awesome! I would be remiss if I didn’t mention his defensive capabilities as well. He is a prototypical shut-down D man and plays in all key situations. He reminds me of his Uncle Darryl when he patrolled NHL blue lines.
Finally to our “goolie” Jensen. He is a real team leader who doesn’t say much, but most importantly leads by example. In today’s game, Jensen wasn’t tested often, but when a Parry Sound attacker did break through he quickly closed the door to add another shut-out to an impressive resume. His abilities as a goalie are second to none. Having Jensen between the pipes gives coaches and players a lot of confidence. He has battled and been there for us all season long. Keep up the great work, Jensen! We will need you more than ever as we head into a difficult 2nd half of the season!
This weekend brings the Noble-King Challenge Cup. This will present us with a great challenge – the competition will be fierce. The coaches have confidence in all of you and know you will be up for the challenge!