Five Times the Hockey

Post-season play. It's a weekend of mixed feelings. It'd be great to advance on either the North Metro playoff side, or the Provincial Play-down side, but both? With one tournament still to go in the season, to move forward on both sides might be too much.

The Play-downs are a one-game round robin in a pool of 4 teams. Only the top team advances to the next round. In round two of the Playoffs, we're paired with Cobourg now - a team who finished first in their division and allowed only 12 goals through the regular season. Their first-place finish gave them a bye into the second round of the North Metros.

Leaside, who finished in second place, is in our provincial pool, will not figure in the weekend, as we played them last weekend and won that battle. Leaside is a talented team and a tough opponent. We like playing Leaside, because their team personality is a lot like our own. They play an intense game, and remember that it's a game. No trash-talking. No hits after the whistle. Games against them are good and clean and fair.

The weekend hockey extravaganza begins with a Provincial Play-down match against North York. We wound up tied for 3rd with North York in the regular season. They're a tough team, who finishes. They have a couple stars who can put the puck in the net.

It's the first game back for Rachel, who left the ice in game 2 of the North Metros, to seek medical attention for a possible forearm fracture. While it's not a fracture, it's still a deep bruise. At practice the other day, she was happy to lace up the skates and grab her stick, but couldn't hide her disappointment that her shot just wasn't what it used to be...yet.

She scores The Dolphins' first goal, high on the stick side, to tie the game. Later in the second period, Niamh pokes a rebound across the line, for the go-ahead goal.

In the third period, Liz ties up The Storm's center and Cat breaks loose from North York's defense. She puts one top-shelf for a short-handed goal and a little insurance.

Late in the third, on a power play, down by 2 goals, The Storm pull their goalie for a face-off in our end. It's a 6-on-3. Becca makes several saves, but we just can't clear the puck. With just over a minute to go in the first penalty, they score. The face-off moves to center-ice. Still no goalie in their net. Cat is in the box, called for interference on an earlier face off. Five-on-four.

North York wins the face off. They fire at our net, pick up the rebound and fire again. Becca continues to make the saves. We clear the puck to the boards. The winger passes to Niamh playing near our blue line. She picks up the puck, puts a move on The Storm's defense and carries the puck down the ice. Seconds to go. A North York player is pushing Niamh to the outside. She waits...then plays the sure thing into the empty net to lock it up.

Final score 4-2.

Tags: [Etobicoke Dolphins] [North York Girls Hockey] [OWHA]