Major Atom Rams Showup at Showdown and Claim Gold

Going into the tournament the Major Atom Rams knew they were in tough as the draw had them facing three teams from the GTA in the qualifiers. It all started early on Friday Nov 22^nd as the Rams hosted the Uxbridge Stars as the home team. This would be a thriller of a game as they battled back and forth with never more than a goal lead by either team. The buzzer would sound to end this affair in a 4-4 tie but giving the Rams that most important first point getting them a step closer to the playoff round. This would be the only game for the Rams on Friday but it provided a wakeup call to the young group who in turn came to the rink Saturday more focused than ever.

Saturday at 8:00am started the first of two contests scheduled this day for the Major Atom Rams. Dawning what some players refer to as Black Magic (their away colors) they first took on the Stoufville Clippers. The game was close through two periods of play but the persistence of the Rams paid off as they put two on the board in the third and would close the game with a four to one decision in their favour. Next up were the Newmarket Redmen, a tough playing team that kept the Rams in check and only allowed one goal against through the first half of the game. That was when the Rams caught fire and potted 4 goals in less than six minutes and took a five to one lead into the third frame. With each team scoring one in the third, the Rams would walk away with a six to two victory and place themselves in a position to play in the finals on Sunday.

As the parents and families of the Rams players filed into the stands, the boys were preparing for what would be an amazing day of hockey. The Brampton 45’s would be the Quarter Final opponents for the Rams and first up Sunday morning. The Rams play from the previous game carried over as they handed the 45’s an eight to nothing defeat.

The Semi Final game would see the Rams faceoff against the Aurora Tigers. With no scoring in the first and the teams trading goals in the second and third, the game was headed for overtime. The format was four on four for the first overtime and then three on three for the second overtime. Through two overtime periods, neither team was willing to concede defeat and relinquish their trip to the final. SHOOTOUT! After each team sent four players from center ice towards their opposition’s net minder nothing was decided. It took solid goaltending and the Rams fifth shooter to finally rifle one past the Aurora keeper to send his team to the final.

The Major Atom Rams had just gone undefeated in five straight games to earn their spot in the Championship final but winning again after going the distance in game five would take enormous amounts of determination and will. The Perth Lanark Wings would be the last challenge the Rams players would face in this tournament. The championship game was a defensive showdown much like the semifinal. Perth scored early in the first but the Rams scored the equalizer just 31 seconds later showing they were not giving in to anyone or anything. The opposition went ahead with only seconds left in the second period which worked up the Rams who set the score to even again shortly into the third frame. With the whistles put away, the teams were permitted to play tough until late in final period when the Rams would be tested with a man in the penalty box. Seconds flew by as the penalty kill unit sent the puck down the ice rush after rush and soon the Rams were back at even strength. A double order of overtime with a shootout for dessert was on the menu again. Nothing was decided in the overtime periods and there would be no holding back as the teams sent one, two, three shooters towards the goaltenders. It wasn’t until the Rams eighth shooter that anything was finalized and a triumphant Rams squad hoisted the cup. This game and this tournament was a display of passion, determination and heroics. The most exiting play in hockey some say is the shootout and the Rams goaltenders survived it not once but twice.

Congratulations to the Major Atom Rams players, coaching staff, and families on this hard fought Championship!

Bottom Row, L-R: Charlie Young, Adam Best. Second Row, L-R: Erik Fuller, Connor Scissions, Jack Whiting, Parker Petruniak, Evan Burgess, Hayden Yakabuski, Daniel Brown, Liam MacDonald. Third Row (standing, L-R): James Pendlebury, Liam Baglole, Mathieu Clavet, Maxime Nadeau, Jack Lachance, Adam Cybulski, Ben McGahan. Back Row (standing, L-R): Assistant Coach Shane Brown, Assistant Coach Trevor Burgess, Assistant Coach Tyler Sullivan, Head Coach Dean Taylor, Manager Tryna Petruniak, Goalie Coach George Young.