The Kincardine Miller Insurance Midgets came within one
minute fourteen seconds of a place in the OMHA final during their game five
match-up with the Parry Sound Shamrocks on Sunday March 8th. Not
only that, Parry Sound stole the tie and advanced to the final with a heartbreaking
winning goal 39 seconds from the end of overtime.
Opening up the semi-final series on the weekend of Feb 28/Mar 1 in Parry Sound, Kincardine started with an outstanding 3-2 win before dropping a narrow 2-1 decision to return home all square. With Parry Sound visiting the following weekend, the Kinucks took a 2-1 series lead on Friday, March 6 with an exciting 2-1 overtime win. Parry Sound hit back on Saturday March 7 with a 4-2 victory, Kincardine pulling back a 3-0 deficit to 3-2 before the Shamrocks scored an empty-netter. With the series tied at two games apiece, the Kinucks made the long trek to Parry Sound for the third game of the weekend. In yet another very tight, action-packed game in front of a packed home crowd Kincardine took the lead early in the third period. They battled hard to hold it until the Shamrocks snatched the equalizer at the death and, having forced overtime, grabbed the winner seconds from the horn when a game six back in Kincardine looked certain.
Great credit is due to the team and the coaching staff for getting to the OMHA semi-finals and getting so close to a place in the finals. All in all it has been a highly successful season with four trophies also won before the play-offs: the Archie McMillan Memorial Trophy, the West Grey Midget Rep tournament, the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame Classic and the WOAA Midget B trophy.