Cens Put Forth a Valiant Effort. Last Tuesday (March 11th) the Cens traveled to Paris down 3 games to 1 in the Midwest Jr. C finals hoping to force a game six. In a wide open first period the teams traded chances and 8:45 in the Cens drew first blood. Great fore check pressure by Adam Fisher caused the Paris D to cough up the puck to Austin Sine in the left circle. Sine snapped it in from the dot beating a surprised Schompe. Paris was on a mission trying to win the Championship trophy at home in front of around 600 fans. (there are only 300 seats in the Paris barn) and tied it up 1:50 later. With 1:25 remaining in the first Figueirdo came up huge stopping a clear cut break away to keep it 1-1. Just 1:35 into the second Figs was called upon again and denied the Paris forward in alone. As often happens after a close call at one end the play went the other way and Ayr regained the lead. Brendan Schaefer took a Mike McKnight pass down the left side and Riley Clipper caught up to make it a two on one. Schaef reached the left wing hash marks before firing it cross ice to Clip at the top of the right circle. Clipper blasted it top corner on the far side. Once again the lead was short lived as Paris responded with the tying goal 1:07 later. One of the refs had to leave the game (something he ate ?) early in the first but Chad Drown was the lone ref and called a great (fair) game. At 12:56 Ayr once again regained the lead capitalizing on the power play. Connor Voigt fired an off speed shot from the right point that found it’s way just inside the post.(assists to Fisher and Richard). Another Cens power play goal came 1:05 later as Voigt got his second of the evening sending his point shot through a crowd in front.(assists to Whibbs and Kemp) Paris wouldn’t go away and drew to within one 45 seconds later. Just to make things interesting the Mounties tied it up 3:35 into the third. Ayr continued to fight for their play off lives and at 6:09 Mac Kemp fired a low point shot that Anthony Pullia redirected in front. The Cens came into this game short on the blue line with Hackborn out with an jury and Pettitt suspended so when Ben Poort (already filling in as D) and veteran blue liner McKnight left the game in the second with season ending upper body injuries the Cens coaching staff scrambled to fill the fill the back end. The Cens all stepped up and played their guts out while the Centennials fans held their collective breath for 13:51 that seemed like an eternity. The Cens held on handing the Mounties their first loss at home in the play offs. You see pictures of N.H.L players in the play offs playing through injuries once the play offs roll around. The N.H.L. ers make millions to do it. The Centennials had a team decimated by injuries but the ones that could still hold on to their stick (with two hands) or skate the length of the ice laced them up for game 6 at the NDCC last Thursday. Over nine hundred fans were on hand to witness a gutsy performance by a team that was playing on sheer survival mode. Paris jumped out to an early two goal lead but the Adam Fisher show started at 4:11 when Fish wristed a bullet top corner on the glove side (assists to Gibson and Sine). Fish got his second of the period with 2:53 left in the first while on the power play. Parking on the blue ice to tap in the rebound from an Andrew Richard shot. (Jeff Howlett got the second assist). Paris got the only goal of the second scoring 24 seconds in. Fish evened it up 2:05 into the third with a power play goal after redirecting a slap pass from Hackborn at the right point. Paris went on to score two more un answered goals to take the game and the series four games to two. The N.H.L.ers do it for millions. The Centennials do it for the love of the game. With Jr. hockey every year the team must say good bye to their over agers at the end of the season. This years trio have played the majority of the season hurting. Spencer Sweazy after having a toe nail removed to accommodate stitches came right back ,blocking shots and throwing punishing body checks. Brett Gibson after coming back from an upper body injury collided with an official in Delhi and had his kneecap dislocated. After weeks of therapy and a special brace Gibby finished out the season still being the play maker whileawaiting off season surgery. Mike McKnight watched game six from the rail at the north end of the arena. After playing hurt through most of the season and missing a few weeks with knee issues Knighter was sidelined by an upper body injury that couldn’t be played through. Sweaz and Gibby have both played their last two season as Cens and Knighter has been a fixture at the Ayr arenas for the past 16 years. Playing the last four as a Centennials. These are the over agers. They will be missed next season as they join the ranks of the Centennials alumni. Best of luck boys. This year’s awards banquet will be held Tuesday May 6th at the Grand Valley Golf and Country Club. Tickets are $30 (includes dinner). Hope to see you all there to show your appreciation..
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 03:02:05 +0000
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