OHL CHAMPIONS !
Ohhhh! What a feeling, What a rush ! Jarrod Maidens decided a sudden death game seven with his 2nd goal of the game 3:27 into the first overtime period.
OUR ATTACK ARE OHL CHAMPS !
Counting the regular season and post season, this was our Attack’s 90th game. 15 of those were playoff wins, but it takes 16 to be crowned the Ontario Hockey League Champs. Win your last game of the season and you win it all.
Game 7 of the Ontario Hockey League Rogers Championship Series for the J. Ross Robertson Cup, featuring our Owen Sound Attack and the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, was played at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga Sunday afternoon.
Owen Sound 3 – Mississauga 2 ! What a game these two hockey clubs gave the fans. As expected. The two are that even in strengths.
This is the first time in franchise history, since the franchise was moved to Owen Sound in 1989, that we are OHL Champions. And it was done before a “sold out” Hershey Centre crowd of 5,517 in the seventh and deciding game of the Rogers OHL Championship Series. Good chance over 50% of the crowd was from Owen Sound and area.
Our Attack won 4 of the last 5 games. Final shots on net 29-27 Owen Sound. The Majors were 1 for 3 on the PP. Our Attack 0 for 4.
Michael Halmo got things going for our Attack when he deflected a Matt Stanisz point blast by J.P. Anderson 4:14 into the game. Joey Hishon had done a ton of work setting up the point shot chance.
Just over three minutes later Stuart Percy wired a seeing-eye wrist shot by Attack netminder Jordan Binnington at 7:26.
The Percy goal got Majors fans excited, but Jarrod Maidens banged in the 1st of his two at 12:34 and the Attack led again.
The lone penalty went to Owen Sound in the first period and it took less than a minute for the Majors to tie the affair at 2-2. Another seeing-eye wrist shot from the left side. This time off the stick of Jordan Mayer.
No scoring in the second or third periods. Things were set-up for the Jarrod Maidens OT winner. The rookie Maidens slapped at a loose puck during a goal mouth scramble. He got it, but there was not much on the shot. “I was just praying it was going to cross the line,” said Jarrod.
The 3 Stars of the Game were:
1st Star – Jarrod Maidens with two goals and game winner in OT.
2nd Star – Stuart Percy
3rd Star – Michael Halmo
With what must have been great haste, Owen Sound Mayor Deb Haswell scrambled to get a Championship Parade organized between game finish and the time the Attack team bus returned to Owen Sound. It would be only she that could have Police, Ambulance, Fire Department vehicles and the Bayshore Staff ready for our Attack return home.
Around 9:00 p.m., the Attack were welcomed home by a number of those emergency vehicles and thousands of fans all the way from the top of the 9th street hill into the city from the south, down 6th Ave. E., by City Hall and eventually to the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Center for a reception where it was as busy as anytime this writer has seen. City Police estimated 6000-8000 along the parade route and 3000 at the Lum.
We are talking elderly hardly able to walk and standing by the roadside fighting off the north winds from the bay, to children in their pajamas, taken out of bed to witness this scene. Full parking lots and all streets jammed. Wow !!! Sixty years ago the Owen Sound Mercurys won the Allan Cup for Owen Sound. At the time, the next best thing to winning the Stanley Cup. This great young group of kids have delivered a similar feat and have given a number of people that can remember that Allan Cup time, a chance to witness another Championship Parade.
For those that attended the game, with the thousands driving home north on Highway 6, there was partying everywhere along the highway from near Dundalk north. None that witnessed any of this, will ever forget.
Game 1 – Tuesday May 3rd, Mississauga 5 – Owen Sound 2 EN.
Game 2 – Thursday May 5 Mississauga 6 – Owen Sound 2 EN.
Game 3 – Friday May 6, Owen Sound 6 – Mississauga 5 OT.
Game 4 – Sunday May 8, Owen Sound 2 – Mississauga 1 OT.
Game 5 – Tuesday May 10, Mississauga 7 – Owen Sound 3.
Game 6 – Thursday May 12, Owen Sound 3 – Mississauga 2.
Game 7 – Sunday May 15 Owen Sound 3 – Mississauga 2 OT.
Our Attack enjoyed winning the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as OHL Western Conference Champs. They didn’t touch it though. It was the J. Ross Robertson Trophy they wanted and now that they have it. There is one more trophy available this season. The Mem Cup ! Hmmm.
The Majors will open the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup on Friday night against the QMJHL Champion while our Attack will face the Western Hockey League Champs, the Kootenay Ice on Saturday night. Both games are at 7:00 pm and can be seen live on Rogers Sportsnet.
