After an inconsistent regular season, the Norwell Redmen Varsity Hockey Club has successfully rebounded at playoff time to qualify for a return to the AA CWOSSA championships in Guelph on March 9/10.
The Redmen have battled numerous injuries and illnesses since Christmas and finished the regular season on a disappointing four-game losing streak, which left the team with an overall league record of four wins, eight losses, and one tie, an eighth-place finish in a very strong district.
As playoffs began, the team needed a strong victory over Our Lady of Lourdes from Guelph to secure a spot in the league quarter-final, which would also guarantee a return trip to the AA CWOSSA championship tournament. Norwell played an outstanding game at home and defeated their rival by a convincing 5-1 score, giving up only eight shots on goal in the contest.
From there the team travelled to Shelburne last week to face second place Centre Dufferin in the league quarter-finals. The Redmen once again played a strong defensive game and led 1-0 until late in the third period when Centre Dufferin scored a power-play goal to even the contest. After going back and forth, the Redmen surrendered the winning goal with a little more than a minute to go.
The team has now shifted its focus to defending the AA CWOSSA championship that it earned last year en route to playing at the provincial championships in Peterborough. The Redmen would love to go back and try and better the quarter-final overtime loss at OFSAA last March. The CWOSSA tournament will feature six teams, with each team playing twice on Tuesday, March 9. The top team in each pool will then return to play in the final the next afternoon at the West End Rec Centre in Guelph.
Similar to last year, the Redmen hope to catch “lightning in a bottle” and play their best hockey of the season at CWOSSA. A healthy, well-rested team will represent the school with class and determination. Everyone at the school wishes the Redmen luck in their quest for gold once again.
–Submitted by Mark Israel