Hockey Playoffs

The winter rec hockey league playoffs were this past weekend. Adam's U12 team and Derek's U14 team both made it to their respective championship games on Sunday afternoon.

Derek and Blake passing some time before the games on Sunday. We were all a little wound up in anticipation. As the coach, I was the most worked up. Helen kept reminding me that it's just a rec league.

Adam's U12 Kings played their championship game at 3

They installed a new sound system at the rink and now they introduce the kids before the game and announce the players involved in scoring plays

We played the Rangers, a team we split games with during the season. There are a couple of really strong willed kids on the Rangers and the game was a battle, but we matched their intensity and won 7-5. I was very proud of the kids. Adam had 3 goals and 2 assists.

Derek's U14 Kings played at 4. We were missing a player so I pulled Adam up to play with us.

We were playing our nemesis, a travel team from Union Hill. They're undefeated in our league and we're the only team that has come close to beating them. They also beat us in the fall championship game.

It was a hard fought game, but Union Hill beat us 6-5 on a really nice slapshot goal off of a faceoff in our zone late in the game. Adam had a pretty goal early on and Derek put us ahead 5-4 midway through the third period, but then Union Hill got their second questionable goal of the game on a scrum in front of our net where our goalie had covered the puck and the ref's were slow to blow the whistle.  

I was very proud of the kids. They battled the whole game and we had a great season.

With all the commotion and emotion, I didn't realize until the next day that this was probably Derek's last rec hockey game since the rec league only goes up to age 14. When I got home Monday night and told Helen and Derek what I realized, we got teary eyed and gave Derek a big hug. I wish we had recognized it before the game and had a little moment together. It goes so fast.