Yorkregion.com - Sports - Oakville tames Newmarket for RBC berth
Oakville tames Newmarket for RBC berth
Sports
Apr 27, 2008 01:24 AM
Rested Blades ride big lead to national championships in Cornwall
By: John Cudmore, Staff Writer
Through their four-series playoff run to the Ontario Provincial Jr. A Hockey League playoff title there was one test the Oakville Blades never experienced - a game in which their backs were to the wall.
That test finally came Saturday night and the Blades passed with flying colours, posting a 6-3 victory over the host Newmarket Hurricanes in the final of the Dudley Hewitt Cup at the Ray Twinney Complex.
Led by a pair of goals by Dustin Alcock in the opening eight minutes of the game and a 5-1 lead early in the second period, the Blades held off a determined comeback bid by the Hurricanes to earn a berth in the Royal Bank Cup Junior A national championship tournament starting May 3 in Cornwall.
The victory capped a four-game run at the four-team tournament for the Blades, now also Central Canada champions, who have compiled a 20-4 playoff record this season.
“I had confidence in the guys that we’d be able to beat anyone in a seven-game series but this was the first time in the playoffs we were facing elimination,” said Blades’ captain Chris Corbeil. “For me that was really nerve-wracking. I was hoping the guys would react positively and come out with a good opening frame, and that’s what we did. (It’s a relief ) to know we’d earned our bid to the RBC.”
The Blades put the Hurricanes, who were playing their fifth game in as many days, into trouble early. Alcock took advantage of weak defensive zone play by Newmarket to score twice in the opening eight minutes of the game.
K.J. Ramolla beat Oliver Wren on the sort side at 15:13 to briefly cut Oakville’s lead to 2-1 before a power play goal on a wrist shot from the point by Scott Judson restored the Blades two-goal lead at 18:53.
Braden Birch and Nick McParland connected 73 seconds apart by the four-minute mark to chase Newmarket starting netminder Wayne Savage and it appeared the Hurricanes were in for a long, painful night.
However, captain Scott Voisin and Josh Diamond pulled Newmarket to within 5-3 to shift the momentum, and Voisin rang a shot off the crossbar moments later. That was the end of the scoring until tourney most valuable player and top scorer McParland netted his tournament-high 10th goal into an empty net at 19:50 of the third period.
“We started out behind the eight-ball and they are a tough team to go two goals against,” said Hurricanes’ assistant captain Adam Martinez. “When it was 5-1 maybe in the back of some minds it was over but we didn’t show it. The tank was definitely empty, but we threw everything we could at them.
“I thought we had it in us to win, but they pulled it out. We were right where we wanted to be; playing in the championship game in our home rink.
“It was a good run. I think we surprised a lot of people. We were somewhat of an underdog and got ourselves to the final. We knew how good we were and just forgot about what people were saying about us, underdog or not. We were as good as we could be.”
Newmarket breakdowns in the defensive zone led to the Blades’ early success.
“We told the guys to stay patient and be opportunitistic and got away from the that for a couple of shifts,” said head coach Brian Perrin. “We got caught up in the emotion of the game and started over-pursuing the puck and man and left someone open.
“I’m proud of the way they battled all week. I thought the effort was there but we just didn’t get the results. Oakville deserved to win. They beat us twice. I have a lot of disappointment right now; you’re one step away from playing for a national championship and couldn’t get it done.”
The unknown tangible in the one-game showdown was perhaps traceable to the fact the Blades earned a direct bye to the final by defeating Newmarket by a 5-2 count in the round-robin to claim top spot in the four-team tournament. That meant Newmarket had to survive a sudden-death match, a 2-1 overtime victory over Dryden Ice Dogs, one night earlier.
“I think that took its toll but they earned (the semifinal bye),” said Voisin. “We knew the format of the tournament. Give Oakville all the credit. They’re a good team and I won’t take anything away from them.”
Blades head coach Carlo Coccimiglio also felt the day off helped his side.
“I told the boys before the game, the hardest position is the goalie,” said the winning coach. “He’d played four nights in a row, he’ll be tired, just shoot pucks at him. The more he goes down, the more tired he’ll get and eventually pucks will go in.”
For the Royal Bank Cup, the Blades will join the host Cornwall Colts and three regional champions from across Canada for the week-long event.
- With files from Jon Kuiperji, Oakville Beaver