Wolfpack vs Wolverines - For the Cup

This was it, the Championship game, the Cinderella Story of the Wolfpack, a single regular season win in their last game, then 2 straight upset playoff victories, up against the Wolverines, the team that couldn’t win a shootout to save their lives until it turned out that winning a shootout saved their playoff lives.  Two teams that were never predicted to be in the finals, in the finals.

 

Jonny Bamford and Nathan Bessey were captains in the winter when their teams battled deep into overtime with Bamford’s Eurekas coming out on top of Bessey’s Osprey on this same ice surface, rink C at the RBC Centre in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.  Would Jonny double down, or would Bessey taste sweet revenge?  No matter what the end result, one of these captains would become the first to have their name on both trophies with that “C” beside their name.

 

We began at 7pm and both teams were ready from puck drop.  It was clear that both clubs were going to fight until the bitter end.  The Wolverines were the first ones to find a scoring chance when Keith Webb got a step on a Wolfpack D and went in on Dan Theuerkauf, filling in for an absent Trevor Pate.  Webb’s shot went to the blocker side but Theuerkauf leaned and got his arm on the shot to keep it out.

 

With both Noah Joncas and Kyle Ervin focused on containing Webb, there was no-one there to pickup the next man in for the Wolverines, and that was Josh Stevens whose complete game had been a big reason the Wolverines were even in this position.  Josh grabbed the rebound, and with the goalie sliding across from left to right, Josh put the puck back across the grain, beating Theuerkauf’s glove low to open the scoring.

 

All season long the Wolverines struggled to score many goals, but their defensive game never wavered, and it would be crucial after taking the early lead as the Wolfpack took their shots.  Bamford’s boys were on task, getting pucks deep and putting pucks on goal.  Jared Worth in net for the Wolverines was consistent, calmly shutting everything down, though most shots were coming from the outside.

 

The Wolverines were patient, dumping the puck unless they had a chance to make something of a play, and Nathan Bessey had one of those chances.  After scoring a massive shorty the previous week, he had another breakaway and as he approached the net, he went low, nearly dropping to a knee as he shot to the blocker side.  He went down to a knee after he released the shot and the puck was stopped, but being so low, he couldn’t stop for the rebound which Noah Joncas easily cleared.

 

The Wolfpack pressed, and Ethan DeBruyn knocked down a point shot in front and found himself alone with Nick Kiley closing in on him in front.  Ethan tried going to the backhand and got a shot off as a Kiley reached him, but Worth stoned him.  The next good chance came to Derick Levesque as he picked up a Jake Rankin rebound and also tried going backhand, but again Worth was there.  
 

Josh Stevens nearly found his second of the night with Theuerkauf sprawling as he made a save, but the Wolverines wouldn’t score again in the first, while the only thing the Wolfpack scored was Kyle Publicover as the period expired.  Steve Power nearly scored on the play, which would have been his first of the season as he had a tap in called off earlier in the year.  But Steve was probably just being too nice and not shooting the puck off Publicover in the net.

 

The Wolverines 1-0 lead into the second was by no means secure, so they went looking for insurance early in the second.  Bessey tracked down Kyle Weatherbee in a race for the puck, but just before Bessey got himself free and clear for a breakaway, Wearherbee poked the puck away, managing to avoid taking out Bessey’s feet.

 

A Wolfpack point shot a minute later caused Worth some trouble and as he tried to cover the rebound, Bryce Hirtle pulled it away and a mad scramble ensued. Hirtle got the puck out of the scramble to DeBruyn and Joey Richard put himself against the post behind Worth, but Worth slid back to his left and caught the puck on what was a great scoring chance, the Wolfpack’s best so far.

 

The Wolverines Luke Morine got loose for a breakaway with 12:45 to go, he pulled the puck to his backhand and then to his forehand, but couldn’t beat the goalie’s pad.  As the puck bounced to the corner, it would be worked around to Dan Kiley whose clapper was precise.  Right off the left post and in, just above the pad, and the Wolverines were up 2-0 and feeling no more confident than at 1-0.

 

Jake Rankin tipped a point shot on Worth who bobbled it with Ryan Boucher in front, but then caught it before Boucher could knock it out of the air.  Then on the next sequence, the Wolfpack looked like they were scoring for sure.  Levesque shot a rebound up towards Worth who was laying flat out on his stomach, but he got his shoulder up to stop it, the puck came back to one of the 3 Wolfpack players in front of the net.  The puck ended up on the other side of the net where Worth stopped it, the puck bouncing out front where Levesque hadn’t vacated his position, and he knocked the puck out of the air and off the right toe of the goalie.  Logan MacLean got his stick on the puck just before Levesque could direct the rebound in on his backhand.  He shot through Logan’s stick, but not a great shot and this all while the net became dislodged.  A good break for the Wolverines.

 

With the Wolfpack taking more chances, the Wolverines found themselves getting more pucks on goal, but then they got caught up ice and some beautiful passing was on display.  Ryan Boucher on the right wing, threw a pass across the entire ice to Derick Levesque on the left side.  Levesque fired a shot pass to Jake Rankin who was sitting just off to Worth’s left in perfect position.  Rankin redirected the pass into the back of the net.  With 7:08 to go in the 2nd, this game just got tighter, and the Wolfpack bench was going crazy.

 

With just under 6:00 to play, Nathan Bessey rushed a Wolfpack defenseman and while the D turned, Bessey’s head collided with an elbow and he went down.  He looked hurt but he got up without his stick and saw Jake Rankin with the puck.  Bessey dove to try to clear the puck, but ended up mostly just taking Rankin down, but the Wolfpack maintained the zone.  Nothing would come of it, but Bessey would make his way to the bench and lay down, one of the Wolverine’s hardest workers’ night looking possibly done.

 

Bamford called a timeout and the Wolfpack pulled their tendy with just over 2 minutes left to play and they went in guns ablaze, every puck was directed at the net.  Worth was up to it, he stopped everything, and his players were on board fighting for every loose puck, and still, Bessey remained on the bench, the hard work that was his forté was being done by others.  Josh Stevens wanting the Cup so bad he could taste it, was looking like an elite defensive forward.  

 

After a bunch of shots on goal, the Wolfpack ended up deflecting a puck over the glass, sending the faceoff outside of the zone.  Bessey was finally ready. He called Stevens to come off, and took the left wing on the faceoff, standing against the boards, lined up against Bryce Hirtle.  Dan Theuerkauf was back on the ice, not quite in the net, but no extra attacker was going on until the Wolfpack had possession.

 

Ethan DeBruyn won the faceoff back to his D, but Bessey got the jump on Hirtle and was pressuring the D.  However the puck never made it to Anderson, the right defenceman for the Wolfpack, because Bessey got a stick on it and poked it by him.  Bessey put his head down and went towards the net, not realizing it was no longer empty.  He lifted his head and saw the goalie.  Bessey fired a wrister low and Theuerkauf made the right pad save.  The rebound came out right to the stick of Bessey who grabbed the puck, took one stride around Dan and threw it along the ice into the back of the net.  With just 25 seconds left on the clock, the Wolverines knew that this was it, this was the goal that was sending the Cup home with them.

 

The seconds on the clock ticked down and the Wolverines all skated down to Jared Worth to celebrate their win, and the title of Nomad Hockey League Summer Champions!

 

The Wolfpack waited for the handshake line and congratulated their opponents on a great game and season, and then waited on the ice for the Cup presentation.  

 

Another fantastic season in the books, another team getting their names etched on the Cup.

 

Thank you all for the year, we’re looking forward to seeing you again soon!