Mar 30, 2015 | Jennifer Pain | 881 views
Kings Fall to Hawks in Pool A Semi-Final
The Kings "Road to the Cup" was cut short by the pesky Hawks in semi-final action last week.
This one's a long one, folks, so brace yourself.
Typically in the recap articles, this is where you would find the game specifics - who scored, who assisted, who kicked serious buttocks....etc, etc. However, it is difficult to find the words to adequately describe the impact that this game had on all of us. This game meant so much more than who got to play in the finals. This game marked the opportunity for we, the Caledonia Kings, to extend our time together by one more week. It was the chance for us to see our boys out on the ice one last time, on a team that may never be challenged for the title of best Caledonia team ever assembled. And they achieved this status not by the tally in the "wins" column. They achieved it by being fine young boys who were an absolute pleasure - to coach, to watch, to be with.
Forgive me for being a bit dramatic, but I imagine that all of us can somewhat relate to the emotional attachment to this team. There were so many fantastic moments this year, moments that emphasize the true meaning of amateur sport. In a world that can be too harsh and downright cruel it was so wonderful to be able to escape to the arena a few times a week to watch the Kings in action. How many people can claim that the arena is their "escape?" Now, don't get me wrong, some games got a bit heated (especially in the stands), but I truly believe it was because the parents all felt so fiercely protective of this group. The term "team" extended beyond the 13 kids on the ice - the wonderful group of parents and the phenomenal coaching staff could all be considered part of the Kings.
How can you describe this team? There were so many moments during the year that were defining for this year:
- the brothers Lagan, while they might argue and fight at home, could not have shown more examples of brotherly love on the ice. They were ALWAYS searching for each other on the ice, and one was always first to greet the other when they succeeded. Not to mention what happened if one of them were the victim of a dirty move from the other team! Cheeseburger's got some mojo, y'all!
- Ty Mac, with his flare for the dramatic, gave us all a lesson in the art of drawing a penalty. Some of his moves this year were TSN highlight reel material! More importantly, he was always the first to greet you with a smile when you entered the dressing room.
- watching Dylan score his goals this year, and more importantly watching his team react to his success
- seeing a new fierceness in Nicholas, who came SO close to a goal. He has no fear, and every game took on the biggest kid on the other team - and was successful at stealing the puck
- watching Brayden, the defenceman-turned-center, skate around like a firecracker. He worked his butt off, every shift, and really became a force to be reckoned with for our opponents
- speaking of fearless, how about Liam?! He took a beating a few games because he was relentless in pursuit of the puck....no matter how big the wall standing between himself and the puck. He has a gear that few players possess, and once he hits it there is no one that can catch him
- our offensive superstar, Zach, developed into a much more versatile offensive threat. He seemed to get more in tune with himself this season, knowing when he had the goal-scoring finesse one game, and when his super passes would work better for him in another game. A point is a point, whether a goal or an assist, and Zach became fantastic at both this season
-now, to the defensive core. I challenge anyone to find a more well-rounded unit on any team in Haldimand County...and beyond! To be able to claim that all four of them can protect our house, but can also rush with the puck is unmatched. They each brought different strengths to the unit: Mason and Luke had an uncanny ability to know where the other was at any moment. Mason's confidence grew by leaps and bounds this year, as we witnessed by his uncharacteristic rushes - which we all thoroughly enjoyed! Luke was the quiet, calm, true "stay at home" defenceman....and he never abused his capability to physically dominate - although it's lurking there, under the surface (for anyone that witnessed "the" slapshot). Kyle is masterful with the flip shot from the point - it creates such an element of surprise and notched us many a goal. And there are few that can skate as smoothly as he does - a thing of beauty. Then there's Dusty, the enforcer. This kid has serious spunk, and is fiercely protective of his goalie and his teammates. He has outstanding defensive techniques that allow him to be successful even when the odds are against him
- then, there's our goalie, Josh. Wow. I am boring even myself now because I've used this word too often. Wow. He was amazing, unreal, saved us many times. Not only is he gifted at the position of goalie, but he is kind, unassuming and respectful. Wow.
Throw in the four best coaches in the league, and that makes quite a team.
Thank you, to everyone involved. Thanks for driving your kids to practice. Thanks for cheering and jeering and being crazy loud fans. Thanks for raising great kids that make you wonder - will we ever get a chance to be on a "dream team" again? The reality of it is that, no, this year will be difficult to beat. Kings, we'll always have the season of 2014-2015, the season that "almost was", but was actually way more than any of us even knew it could be.
Signing off.....