The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

I am not very good at sports.

Growing up, I'd always play house league hockey or recreational soccer. I'd be one of the tallest people in my class and only have a three inch vertical playing basketball. Dreams of playing pro sports were shattered quite early in my life.

But I still enjoy team sports and still participate when I can. These days, as I get older, I'm starting to realize the time I have left to play on these teams may be running out. Looking at my Saturday ball hockey squad, the Vanier Voodoo (although the only two guys who actually lived in Vanier have since moved), I'm one of the oldest on the team. Some guys had to miss out on our playoff games because of exams: I haven't said that word in over a decade.

Even though I care more about the effort level of my teammates that winning or losing (nothing makes me more irate than someone who simply doesn't try), the teams I've played with have lost a lot more than won. I thought to myself earlier this year, "It would be nice to end the season on top". Sort of like SBP's personal Stanley Cup. And Sunday night, my ball hockey team managed to do it. The next part is from the league blog. It'd be hard to have a more dramatic finish, and I sure am lucky to have been a part of it.

Gooooood times!

Vanier Voodoo vs Gang Green....the overwhelming favourites since the beginning of the year were ready with a full bench. Gang Green wanted to take the championship game and were willing to work hard for it. Vanier Voodoo came with an equally full bench of runners. Let's face it the Voodoo were the underdogs and they played their hearts out to win the coveted OBBHA toque...the symbol of an OBBHA champion. Anyone seen wearing an OBBHA toque has won an OBBHA championship. The game was scoreless after one period of play as the teams played a patient defensive game and were feeling each other out. The second period went quite awhile without witnessing the first goal of the game....then a flurry of goals had everyone's head spinning. Vanier Voodoo scored for the 1-0 lead, but the Gang Green tied it up 3-seconds later on their rush. Vanier then took a 2-1 lead only to see Gang Green score two quick goals to take momentum and a 3-2 lead after two periods. At the mid-way point of the third period Gang Green appeared to salt this one away as they scored another two quick goals for a 5-2 lead. Voodoo made it 5-3 and their appeared to give some hope for their faithful fans, but Gang Green scored to take a seemingly insurmountable lead at 6-3. But Vanier Voodoo staged a dramatic comeback scoring 3 goals to tie it at 6-6. The last 3-minutes were wild. Furious pace and near misses. At the end of regulation it was a 6-6 ball game. Normally in the OBBHA the 5-man shoot out would take place. But for the second time in OBBHA history an OT game was played. And for the second time it happened in the Saturday league (Professional Slackers edged out the Blades of Steel). OT was possible because it was the last game of the night and the custodian was working late....so both teams agreed to a sudden death OT that could last up to another hour! Remember there were no goals scored in the opening period of this amazing final. The winner was scored less than two minutes into the OT.....Gang Green had a chance to win it, but the ball rolled into the post in slow motion as the Voodoo fans cringed in their seats. Then Vanier Voodoo banged one off the post, cross-bar, the other post....and the ball stopped inches from the goal line before a Voodoo hero slammed in the OT winner for a 7-6 final. The Voodoo scorer was engulfed by the celebrating Vanier player and disappeared for good as the clump of players all fell over in a heap of joy. An amazing final game that rivaled that OT win by the Professional Slackers.....well done Gang Green and Vanier Voodoo!

Subscribe to Posts [Atom]