With their first contest of the playoffs being a 2-1 nail biter, most experts were calling for a higher scoring final as both teams are blessed with plenty of offensive talent.
This prediction was soon proven wrong as each team had several opportunities to kill off power-plays early as Bear and BCS made five combined trips to the sin-bin. With no one able to put the biscuit in the basket, a tight checking game evolved which went to Zamboni time knotted at goose eggs.
More of the same greeted the near record crowd until three minutes into the final stanza, when the sea parted for (Silent) Seth Phillips who fired a low shot to the stick side, off the post and in for the all-important first goal.
BCS soon threw caution to the wind as Kevin (Nightrider) Hesslegrave, who had scored a goal in their previous three contests, had several glorious chances to knot the score. The stalwart Bear D bent but didn’t break as Zack (Attack) Leslie did everything he could to post the second straight 1-0 Lumber Cup championship clincher.
With the victory, rookie FHL Commissioner (BIG) Bob Merta earned his eighth Lumber Cup, with rookie FHL Captain Dan (The Man) Lowndes only 7 behind with 1.
Yes sports fans, the odor at the Barn on Barlow is not natural and could be attributed to the meltdown of the vaunted Fraser River GM squad, or may have been the red hot goal tending of Zack (Attack) Leslie in the Bear cage, or (Maestro) Mike Enemark between the Blue Collar pipes.
But it was probably the Pepé Le Pew stench coming from the Serenity room as they lost 3 straight to punch their ticket to the playoff basement.
Serenity actually started off on the right foot with an impressive 5-1 win over the Chevy Crew. Unfortunately, they couldn’t sustain the magic as their flame flickered out with a 3-2 loss to Bear, a 5-3 second half loss to BCS and an 8-4 crushing at the hands of Fraser River.
Fraser River couldn’t be very much happier than the Builder Bunch as they followed up their opening game loss to Serenity with a two all draw with BCS and a fateful 5-2 loss to Bear, who actually had a five-zip lead at one point. Their lone bright light of the weekend was an 8-4 Saturday morning win over Serenity, where Ian Hannah (Montana) scored a high five.
Blue Collars run to the final began with their 2-1 last minute victory over Bear, their come from behind two all tie with Fraser River and a gutsy 5-3 victory over the Builders which punched their ticket to the Saturday afternoon Final.
BCS`s opponent in the final was actually Bear, who they had defeated 2-1 by scoring in the last minute on a power-play after killing off a five on three PP just moments earlier. Bear managed to go on a roll after the heartbreaking loss as they beat Serenity 3-2 and Fraser River 5-2 to RRSP their front row seat in the Final.
Steve Dodge is a defensive winger with Bear Communications and an Observer contributor.