I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. Just a simple farmer, I was busy with bean and corn harvest throughout most of a tough fall. Once there was enough in the granary to feed the starving multitudes I was ready for “Ringette Action” but there was a lull in the schedule before Christmas. Now the Wellington North U12 Ringers are busy again and it’s getting wild baby! Witness the past weekend when the U12’s were rockin’ in the big city and rollin’ in the countryside with a 6-4 win in Kitchener at Lions Arena followed by a nerve wracking 6-5 victory over blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Tara on Sunday. It was a real solid team effort on Saturday with all the basics looked after. Solid passing plus good defence plus timely scoring plus solid goaltending usually equal a big W and that was the case. Coach Brent McDougall had to be happy with the efforts. Sunday in Tara was a delight for any sports fan. The Tornadoes are a great team with excellent skaters but the Ringers were ready. Liam McArthur’s daring rush six minutes into the first answered Tara’s opening tally. Before you know it the Tornadoes had whirled into a 3-1 lead but if you think that fazed the Ringers, you don’t know the Ringers. Catarina Oakes, with her first of three assists, sets up Chevonne Wright who whistles across the front of the net and stuffs one in long side. It’s like the Second of Luther out there as the Tornadoes strike again. The Ringers do some teeth-grittin’ and refuse to lose. McKenzie McDougall shows some great work and finds Meghan Benn open in front. Meghan’s goal brings them to within one before the end of the thrill-filled first. The battle resumes in the second and I’m amazed by the effort. Amelia Walker is a powerhouse D continuously clearing the zone and feeding the forwards. The improvement of rookies Courtney Voisin and Carissa Campbell is awe-inspiring as they contribute with great checking constantly. Macy Showers is an offensive threat, getting open. The Ringers tie the game at 13:49 of the final period with a great individual effort from Jordan Bushey. She takes an Oakes pass and drives to the net harassed all the way by a Tornado defender and somehow manages to rip one low glove side. Wright scores two minutes later on a moon shot (flipping the ring from a free shot at the face off circle) but you know it’s too early to be over. Sixteen seconds later the Ringers fans go through the painful ecstasy-agony reversal as Tara ties it up. The with four minutes left Jordan treats us to an instant replay only this time she puts in off the left wing with a Tornado draped over her shoulders and snipes low stick side to send the fans into spasms of delight. But it’s not over yet and as is quite often the case we turn to the little red-headed girl with the big goalie pads and MacKenzie Hanlon is superb in sealing the win. Wow! It makes me realize how small, cheap and empty my life has been without “Ringette Action”. I just gotta spend more time at the arena.
Ringer report: Super fan Erin McArthur was severely vexed when an “unknown person” (Steve Walker you bad boy) put Kleenex in her air horn to steal its thunder.