Hollywood could not have scripted it better: team is assembled, team celebrates success for the first half of the season but needs more, so they take on the big teams only to fall into the middle of the competitive pack and into obscurity.
During the playoffs, players find a new fire within themselves to rise to the challenge.
The Drayton bantams started the 2014-15 season in the Local League division and in the process posted a 14-0 record along with winning the Durham Bantam LL tournament, all before Christmas. Lopsided scores were starting to cause some bad habits on the ice, so the decision was made to make the jump to Bantam Rep with approval of the players/parents and both the league and Drayton Minor Hockey.
The bantams quickly found themselves battling skilled hockey teams that brought the local boys back down to earth, posting a respectable 5-5 record through the middle portion of the season in the Rep division.
A “back to basics” approach helped the team build its confidence back up to where it was prior to the move up.
OMHA round one saw Drayton paired against Shallow Lake. Both Drayton and Shallow Lake were very well matched on the ice with the Lakers taking a rough game one of the best-of-five by a 4-2 score in Shallow Lake. Game two back in Drayton ended in a 3-1 victory for Drayton, tying the series. Game three in Drayton saw the local team ahead 2-1 with one period to play, but three unanswered goals in the third period by Shallow Lake gave the visitors a 4-2 win.
Game 4 was once more in Shallow Lake and through suspensions and injuries the Drayton bantams hit the ice with just nine players trying desperately to force a fifth and deciding game that would see the suspensions served and a full squad back on the ice. Drayton held a slim 2-1 advantage going into the third only to see Shallow Lake tie it up with 2:38 remaining. In overtime both teams had tremendous chances, but with 2:06 remaining in OT, the Lakers slid a puck over the Drayton goal line to win the game and series.
WOAA playoffs
In the Western Ontario playoffs the bantams came out flying, going 7-1 through the WOAA round robin qualifier to win the southern division and a shot at the championship.
Standing in their way was a very skilled and undefeated South Bruce AE team which rode an 18-0 record through both the OMHAs and WOAA.
Game one of the best-of-three final in Drayton saw the Defenders score early and often en route to a 5-0 win and handing South Bruce its first playoff loss of the season.
Game two was to be a different matter as Drayton was forced to wait for 12 days before playing.
With limited ice time available at the end of March and the fact the ice was scheduled to be out before game two was to be played, the team had only two practices to be ready for the recently-crowned OMHA champs.
The lack of activity was quite apparent, as South Bruce rolled to a 9-2 drubbing of Drayton on March 27, with game three scheduled back in Teeswater on March 29.
A large contingent of Drayton fans followed the bantams to Teeswater only to be matched by a large, noisy local crowd already anticipating a double championship season for the South Bruce team.
With Drayton trailing 2-1 with just over six minutes to play and the South Bruce hopefuls already celebrating in the stands, Collin Roubos took his shot and tied the game. Regulation and OT solved nothing, as both goaltenders stood on their respective heads, stopping shot after shot.
At the conclusion of OT, it was decided game four would be necessary. It was to be Drayton’s home game, but the team was without ice to play on.
So for around two hours on March 30, the Palmerston arena was the new home of the Bantam Drayton Defenders.
Game four was a solid affair right off the drop of the puck, with both teams pressing for the first goal to set the pace.
South Bruce broke in on a breakaway with less than 20 seconds off the clock, but Rylan Kuper stood tall and calmly made an amazing save to keep the score at zero and give life to the Drayton boys, who with 2:57 left in the first period took the lead on a Isaiah Thornback goal.
There was no scoring in the second period and period three was tight until Matt Brown’s goal just over three minutes in gave Drayton some cushion.
With just eight minutes left to go Brent Mulder made a shot count, giving the Drayton a 3-0 lead, which they held onto for the WOAA championship.
Team officials thanked the players’ parents for their support all season long and the coaching staff for their tireless effort on and off the ice; they commended the players for winning the championship through “team work, dedication and sacrifice.”
