Sydenham Varsity Hockey Wins KASSAA Again

The Sydenham High School Golden Eagles varsity boys team won their second straight KASSAA title on Monday at the Invista Centre, capping off a high-stakes week of games, and completing an unbeaten season.

It was anything but easy, however.

With ten minutes to go in the gold medal game, on Monday afternoon, the Golden Eagles trailed 2-0 to Holy Cross. To make matters worse, they had just taken a double minor, and were faced with the task of killing off a four-minute penalty kill, and then scoring two goals in the remaining 6 minutes of the game, after being held scoreless for 50 minutes of playing time.

But that is getting ahead of things. Four days earlier, on Thursday, February 26, at the Frontenac Arena, Sydenham never trailed in their semi-final against Lasalle, but the Lasalle team that pushed the Golden Eagles to overtime in the regular season would not go away in this game either.

Midway through the opening period, with a crush of players crowding the LaSalle net, the puck found its way over the goal line, giving Sydenham a 1-0 lead, at the end of the first.

But LaSalle responded four minutes into the second period, bringing the score to 1-1. Soon after, Sydenham scored again, taking a 2-1 lead. That lead was short lived, as LaSalle scored again, tying the score just before the end of the period. The Golden Eagles wasted no time reclaiming control, scoring just one minute into the third period, and this time they kept the lead as the game began to wind down.

LaSalle pulled their goalie in a last-ditch effort to tie the game, but the Golden Eagles held firm, and scored an empty net goal for a 4-2 win.

This all felt like ancient history by Monday, as the Golden Eagles were staring not only at the end of their 20+ game KASSAA win streak, but their reign as KASSAA title holders as well.

First things first, the Sydenham defense held off Holy Cross four minutes on the Power Play. With six minutes to go, Holy Cross continued to protect the 2-0 lead they had taken, back in the first period. But riding off the momentum of the penalty kill, “Mason Norgaard literally banged one in with five minutes to go,” in the words of coach Shane Cook. 2-1 Holy Cross

With two minutes to go, Hudson Groenewegen fired a seeing eye shot from the top of the circle that found the top shelf, for the tying goal.

While The Golden Eagles were celebrating the fact that they had improbably tied the game with little time left in regulation, Holy Cross jumped on the puck and pushed for a last minute winner.

“Our goalie, Zak Ottenhof, did what he always does, and closed the door to keep it level,” said coach Cook.

A ten minute 3 on 3 overtime period came and went. KASSAA shootouts are set up as cumulative three shot shoot outs.

The first two shooters for Sydenham missed, and one of the two Holy Cross shooters scored. Holy Cross was first up with the third shot. A goal would have ended the game right then and there, but the third Holy Cross shot went wide.

Cole Rowat then scored to keep Sydenham’s hopes alive once again.

After goalie Zac Ottenhoff held the line for Sydenham in the fourth shootout round, the first of the sudden death rounds, the Golden Eagles had their first opportunity to win the game after being at the point of losing so many times, and captain Drake Thomas made no mistake.

Final score, Sydenham over Holy Cross 3-2 (OT)

Sydenham moves on to the EOSSA tournament in Renfrew, next Tuesday (March 10).

Coach Cook is hoping they can improve on their performance from last year, where they were 1-1. Sydenham has never won at EOSSAA and has never progressed to the province-wide OFSAA tournament.

“We are hoping to change that,” said Cook, who also said that most of the key players on this year’s team will be back next year, for their final high school hockey season.

“Three-peat, anyone,” Cook said