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Sharpshooters continue to roll, all the way to Cumberland (almost)
2015-11-12It was a busy week for the Ottawa Centre Novice B Sharpshooters as they hit the road on the way to the internationally-renowned Cumberland Novice B Tournament in the eastern reaches of the Ottawa metropolitan area. To the delight of the throngs of Sharpshooter fans that also made the trip, ...
It was a busy week for the Ottawa Centre Novice B Sharpshooters as they hit the road on the way to the internationally-renowned Cumberland Novice B Tournament in the eastern reaches of the Ottawa metropolitan area. To the delight of the throngs of Sharpshooter fans that also made the trip, the first extended road trip of the season proved to be a roaring success.
With the smiling faces of their Senators’ heroes peering down on them from virtually every angle, the Sharpshooters put on a show that would make the Sens proud, and perhaps even teach them a few things. Facing the host Cumberland B3 team first, Owen K. stood tall in net, making huge saves behind a Sharpshooters team that came out flying. With the fleet-footed Julia getting her first career start at centre, the forecheck was more or less relentless, giving the hosts fits as they tried to deal with the Sharpshooters’ speed. Nathaniel and Nate were speed demons on the wings, grabbing loose pucks, showing off their moves and powering shots on net. When Nathaniel and Nate weren’t terrorizing opposing defencemen, Ross was, chipping the puck past defenders and racing to pick it back up and power in on net, while Carolyn raced up and down the boards powered by not one, but two feet, looking for chances to unleash her rocket of a wrist shot. Et chaque fois que les joueurs de Cumberland se sont emparés de la rondelle, ils étaient obligés d’essayer de contourner Colin, defenseur par excellence, qui fermait toujours la porte.
After stuffing themselves with Gabriel’s pizza under the close supervision of team nutritionists, the Sharpshooters headed back to the Sensplex that same afternoon to face a foe from their own league – the West End Snipers. In game two, there were strong performances from a familiar cast of characters, including the unflappable Tavish Norman, whose rousing pre-game speeches and fearless play were an inspiration to the entire team. Tavish was supported by the smart and steady Jack A., whose veteran savvy and willingness to play anywhere he is needed makes him a valuable role model for the younger players, like Giacomo, whose incredible enthusiasm and strong play on the boards kept the Snipers on their toes and Henry, whose understated approach allows him to surprise opponents with bursts of phenomenal speed. And although Misha was for some reason not willing to eat his birthday cupcake before the game, he dug deep and found the energy to put together a great performance on the ice.
With two strong games under their belts, the Sharpshooters really came to play under the bright television lights in their marquee Saturday night matchup against the other hosts, the Cumberland B8 Ochos. In what was perhaps a first anywhere in the hockey world, the Sharpshooters contorted their line-up to start an entire line of Owens, with Mssrs Norman, Bernier and a reluctant Kenney joining together to take on the Ochos. United with their namesakes, the Owens responded in a big way, scoring a goal on their first shift after forcing a turnover with a strong forecheck. Even a lower body injury to Owen Bernier couldn’t keep the Owens down, as Mr. Bernier walked it off and came back into the game to earn post-game honours. As far as notable performances by non-Owens were concerned, defensive stalwart Fionn and honorary Owen Gregoire were pillars of strength for the Sharpshooters, as they held their ground and kept the puck away from acrobatic goaltender Ross.
The success of the Sharpshooters was the talk of the hockey world all week. Bench coaches Kevin and Eric suddenly found themselves to be local celebrities, getting the best tables at restaurants and skipping the line at the hottest clubs all around town, while stylish Goalie Coach/Trainer Shawn will be featured on the cover of this month’s edition of Novice Hockey Aficionado Quarterly. Meanwhile, Coach Matt was offered a free hot chocolate at his work cafeteria, even though he only had 8 stamps on his card.
Perhaps more importantly word of the Sharpshooters meteoric rise reached as high as the offices of the Ottawa 67s, who sent a couple of players to watch the Sharpshooters practice and do some scouting for the 2024-25 OHL season. 67s left winger Connor Graham was so impressed with the team that he offered to come up and talk to the Sharpshooters following the 67s game on November 28.
Fortunately for Sharpshooters fans, the team’s schedule doesn’t slow down at all, with a practice on Friday and the annual photo shoot bright and early on Saturday morning. After that, it’s on to a league game on Sunday morning, where Coach Eric finally gets the chance to take the reins and convince team management that his “positioning spider” is what the Sharpshooters need to get to the next level.
See you all on the weekend!
With the smiling faces of their Senators’ heroes peering down on them from virtually every angle, the Sharpshooters put on a show that would make the Sens proud, and perhaps even teach them a few things. Facing the host Cumberland B3 team first, Owen K. stood tall in net, making huge saves behind a Sharpshooters team that came out flying. With the fleet-footed Julia getting her first career start at centre, the forecheck was more or less relentless, giving the hosts fits as they tried to deal with the Sharpshooters’ speed. Nathaniel and Nate were speed demons on the wings, grabbing loose pucks, showing off their moves and powering shots on net. When Nathaniel and Nate weren’t terrorizing opposing defencemen, Ross was, chipping the puck past defenders and racing to pick it back up and power in on net, while Carolyn raced up and down the boards powered by not one, but two feet, looking for chances to unleash her rocket of a wrist shot. Et chaque fois que les joueurs de Cumberland se sont emparés de la rondelle, ils étaient obligés d’essayer de contourner Colin, defenseur par excellence, qui fermait toujours la porte.
After stuffing themselves with Gabriel’s pizza under the close supervision of team nutritionists, the Sharpshooters headed back to the Sensplex that same afternoon to face a foe from their own league – the West End Snipers. In game two, there were strong performances from a familiar cast of characters, including the unflappable Tavish Norman, whose rousing pre-game speeches and fearless play were an inspiration to the entire team. Tavish was supported by the smart and steady Jack A., whose veteran savvy and willingness to play anywhere he is needed makes him a valuable role model for the younger players, like Giacomo, whose incredible enthusiasm and strong play on the boards kept the Snipers on their toes and Henry, whose understated approach allows him to surprise opponents with bursts of phenomenal speed. And although Misha was for some reason not willing to eat his birthday cupcake before the game, he dug deep and found the energy to put together a great performance on the ice.
With two strong games under their belts, the Sharpshooters really came to play under the bright television lights in their marquee Saturday night matchup against the other hosts, the Cumberland B8 Ochos. In what was perhaps a first anywhere in the hockey world, the Sharpshooters contorted their line-up to start an entire line of Owens, with Mssrs Norman, Bernier and a reluctant Kenney joining together to take on the Ochos. United with their namesakes, the Owens responded in a big way, scoring a goal on their first shift after forcing a turnover with a strong forecheck. Even a lower body injury to Owen Bernier couldn’t keep the Owens down, as Mr. Bernier walked it off and came back into the game to earn post-game honours. As far as notable performances by non-Owens were concerned, defensive stalwart Fionn and honorary Owen Gregoire were pillars of strength for the Sharpshooters, as they held their ground and kept the puck away from acrobatic goaltender Ross.
The success of the Sharpshooters was the talk of the hockey world all week. Bench coaches Kevin and Eric suddenly found themselves to be local celebrities, getting the best tables at restaurants and skipping the line at the hottest clubs all around town, while stylish Goalie Coach/Trainer Shawn will be featured on the cover of this month’s edition of Novice Hockey Aficionado Quarterly. Meanwhile, Coach Matt was offered a free hot chocolate at his work cafeteria, even though he only had 8 stamps on his card.
Perhaps more importantly word of the Sharpshooters meteoric rise reached as high as the offices of the Ottawa 67s, who sent a couple of players to watch the Sharpshooters practice and do some scouting for the 2024-25 OHL season. 67s left winger Connor Graham was so impressed with the team that he offered to come up and talk to the Sharpshooters following the 67s game on November 28.
Fortunately for Sharpshooters fans, the team’s schedule doesn’t slow down at all, with a practice on Friday and the annual photo shoot bright and early on Saturday morning. After that, it’s on to a league game on Sunday morning, where Coach Eric finally gets the chance to take the reins and convince team management that his “positioning spider” is what the Sharpshooters need to get to the next level.
See you all on the weekend!