HISTORY MADE AT BARRIE BALL HOCKEY CLUB

Tournament of Champions

Barrie, Ontario - April 25, 2009 - At the Tournament of Champions in Barrie this past Sunday, the big story was an unplanned ball hockey marathon, consisting of 10 periods in one single game, which set the pace for an exciting day. When the tournament started Sunday morning, none of the players or spectators would have thought that on this rainy day, they would be witnessing history in the making at the Barrie Ball Hockey Club.

It was the first game of the day. The 4th seeded team, Wild Wing South, took on the 5th seeded defending champions, Renovations by Rodgers. The contest was a 0 - 0 tie in regulation time and went into seven overtime periods before it was finally decided, with Dominic Mota forcing a turnover and roofing the game winner at the 6:43 mark in the 10th period of play for Renovations by Rodgers.

There was a time when you had to wonder if the game was ever going to end though. Chances were coming fast and furious at both ends, but neither goalie was going to crack in this Quarter final game. Spectators were glued to the action, oblivious to the elements. All hoping to witness a victor, and either team deserved to emerge triumphant.

The game which lasted 2 hours and forty minutes was scheduled at 10:00am and went through to 12:40pm. The next round had to be delayed as this game was still in progress well beyond the scheduled start of the semi-finals. There was great pride in the victory and no shame in the loss. This contest is now in the record books as being the longest playoff game ever played at the Barrie Ball Hockey Club.

Renovations by Rodgers then moved on against the eagerly awaiting 1st seeded Pounders in the Semi-finals. The Pounders went on to defeat Renovations by Rodgers 4 – 3, but this did not overshadow their earlier victory.
The Pounders then met the Islanders in the finals who came out strong with two late first period goals both scored by Chris Edwards to take the lead, 2-0 going into the second period. The Islanders continued strong in the second period with two more late period goals by Brian Noll and Sandro Morea to give them a 4-1 lead moving into the third. The Pounders fought back though, with three third period goals by Jon Marci (2) and Mike Hansen to send the game into overtime, once again.

Onlookers held their breath, wondering if they would see a repeat of earlier. But as it turned out, that record would remain unbroken. The Islanders nearly scored just 2 minutes into the overtime off a turnover, but Dan Kenney stood his ground with a huge save to keep his team alive. It was back and forth action until Jody Vroom of the Pounders ended the game with a wrist shot from the slot at the 5:08 mark in overtime to give the Pounders their first championship title.

The Barrie Ball Hockey Club is the largest outdoor ball hockey facility in North America, offering year round hockey action for all ages and skill levels. The Tournament of Champions is an annual tournament run by The Barrie Ball Hockey Club, where only division winning teams from the past two seasons are eligible to enter this exclusive tournament. Located in the heart of Barrie, you can visit the Barrie Ball Hockey Club at 125 Ferndale Drive North or at HYPERLINK "http://www.ballhockey.com" www.ballhockey.com for more information.