Wolves play good hockey but end chance at championship

After their final game last weekend, Under-18 Niagara-on-the-Lake Wolves head coach Tim Marotta told his team that they played some of their best hockey all season at the Ontario Minor Hockey Association championships in Barrie. And assistant coach Jim Denham added that for several players it was their best game of the year.

Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to advance to the finals at the provincial tournament and the Wolves, some of whom had just played their final minor hockey games for NOTL, were sent home Saturday with an 0-3 record. 

The Wolves opened the tournament Friday morning against the South Muskoka Bears. NOTL started the scoring in the first period on a power play goal before South Muskoka scored three unanswered goals to put the Wolves in the hole 3-1 early in the third period.  

Halfway through the third, NOTL closed the gap to 3-2. But despite sustained pressure by NOTL, South Muskoka finished the game with an empty net goal to seal the 4-2 victory.   

“Both teams were evenly matched and traded scoring chances throughout the game,” trainer Jeff Dyck told The Local. “Theo VanderKaay played a great game in goal and was selected as NOTL’s player of the game by the opposing coaches.”  

Friday afternoon the Wolves took on a physical Napanee Stars team at the Peggy Hill Team Community Centre. The Stars were assessed a total of 46 minutes in penalties, including five for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

“Our young men represented NOTL well and did not retaliate,” said Dyck of the Wolves, who in comparison served only 10 minutes in the box.

Napanee was first on the scoreboard with a goal early in the first period. NOTL tied it up in the second, but Napanee regained the lead two minutes later. They added two more in the third for a 4-1 victory. 

“It was difficult for us to find our rhythm,” said Dyck. “The game was closer than the score indicated but it was clear that the team needed to find another level of intensity and focus if they were going to win in the elimination round.”

To that end, the boys arranged a players-only meeting Friday evening to re-align on their ultimate goal and support each other in the process before taking on Parry Sound Saturday morning in the elimination round. The winner of that game would head to the quarter finals.

After a scoreless first period, the Shamrocks struck first with a goal in the second. NOTL responded five minutes later on the power play to even the score. The Wolves controlled the play for long stretches of the second and third period and goaltender Mateo Gruosso shut the door when Parry Sound had opportunities to score.  

The game went to overtime after a scoreless third period. Unfortunately, Parry Sound was able to knock the puck in during a scramble in front of the net with 2:35 remaining, ending the game and the tournament for NOTL. 

“We were determined and fought hard to overcome fatigue as the overtime period wore on,” Dyck said. “When Parry Sound scored, it was an emotional moment for our boys, who had given it everything they had and came up just short.”

Surely it was even more emotional for the 12 players who graduate from the Wolves minor hockey system, having aged out of the U18 age group for next year. It was also emotional for Marotta, Denham and Dyck, whose sons are all part of that graduating group.

Looking back on the weekend, Marotta said, “What stands out to me is how each and every player has contributed. We never relied on one or two players for success; all of our players are part of it, and this tournament was no exception as we had important contributions from everyone up and down the line-up, along with the steady, consistent goaltending that has kept us in games all year. We were very close to upsetting some of the province’s best teams throughout the weekend.”

South Muskoka went on to defeat the Dorchester Dragons 5-4 in double overtime to complete the weekend with a 5-0 record and the provincial title.