The Montgomery Ford Midget girls "C" team had a busy & rewarding weekend after attending the 2015 Pink on the Rink South Huron girls tournament in Exeter/Hensall/Zurich area. There were a few road block to over come 1st as the team was suppose to play on Friday morning but mother nature set up a powerfull defense by sending a 2-3 day storm closing most local major hwys, including Hwy # 21, # 86, # 9 with the worst being on Friday morning. With lots of phone calls and texting, the teams 1st game was re scheduled to 9:00pm friday night, yet hoping still to get out of Kincardine.
The roads opened up @ 11:00am, the team organized a 10 vehicle convoy and met at the D/C all leaving together to travel to Zurich for a game @ 2:30pm to vs Lambton Shores . Well the 10 vehicle convoy all got to Zurich at the same time 45 minutes prior to game time and found out the raods all re-closed again behind us ! Lucky to get away and safe arrival. The team having been off for almost 3 weeks from xmas holidays and missing both team practices last week do to heavy squalls, this certainly showed on our 1st game showing ! The tournament had only 4 teams on their "C" division, including Lambton Shores / BCH ice dogs / B.A.D. girls / Kincardine Kinucks. The team came out of their 1st game with a 4-2 loss, giving a open net goal on the 4th goal scored against. Then playing the game @ 9:00pm Friday night vs BCH which was the bad weather re-scheduled game, the team seem to bring up there effort more and won 3-0 . The team were forced to stay down as the roads stayed closed back home and were able to book only 7 rooms at the Ranch House Inn on main street in Exeter and spent the night and doubling up families to make the team fit into this small motel. It was like a slummer party and sleep over or almost like a camping trip ! The team enjoyed dinner at crabby joes and only to close the evening off in Ranch House inn with some night caps and retired in decent time to prepare for a 9:00am game in Exeter vs the BAD girls team. This was another close nail bitter with a 2-1 victory, now having to play @ 3:30 against the BAD girls again, as Kincardine finished 1st in their group pool overall . Well @ 3:30 in Exeter the Ford girls came out flying to win a 5-1 game and this would put them in the final championship game on Sunday at the Huron park arena @ 11:15 am next day. The team decided to stay down with the poor road conditions still happening at home and went out to the Ridge sports bar & grill for a team dinner, then back to the motel for a game of charades led by the team manager Mary Lynn, each team having to act out either a TV program or movie titles ! Well Jeff Elliott was really good at his acting with Heather Padfield being a strong 2nd, both of which could make it on broadway ! Coach Gord set a cirfew for the team to get well rested with a shot at winning the final the next day ! The team having a good nights rest except the coach Gord & Jeff who had a snoring contest , which ended up in a tie between them ! At 11:00am Sunday the Kinucks were warming up to play BCH again in the final, well this was a tight, fast 3 period of exciting hockey and became very emmotional. The Ford girls took the lead after 3 periods , only 3:38 left on the clock in the game Rainor Kuz scored the only and winning goal for the victory and then the BCH ice dogs pulled their goalie with just under 2 minutes left to apply much pressure making things so tense that this would not have been a good game to try to quit smoking ! The final finished 1-0 for the Kinucks and the girls all skated onto the ice like the world juniors did after winning the gold medal to pile on Sofia ! Was a nice sight to watch , both teams shook hands and then lined up on the blue lines for awards ceremoy and recieved the Pink on the Rink banner and team medals. Photos were taken by Emmanuel Tomani and the team all had nice smiles and proud coaching staff . This was a nice finish to the weekend,espeically when the Kinucks team won this same tournament in 2013 !! Kincardine Midgets have made a name in the books for this event down in exeter according to their convenor ! The team safely retruned home for a quiet night in their own homes and nights rest.
Photo -10 #16 Tara Wood and #12 Lara Clubb help Goal keeper #4 Sophia Tomani maintain a shut-out in the final game
Photo - 16 #10 Rainor Kuz scoring the winning goal with 3:38 left in the Gold medal game
Photo- 28 Team photo of the Pink on the Rink champions
Back row left - right ........... Head coach/ Gord Kemp, forward coach/ John McFarlane, Tara Wood , Lara Clubb , Georgia Fields, Jorie Elliott, Rainor Kuz , Megan Stewart-Kemp, Ashley McConnell, Alice Thorpe, Hailey woods, defense coach/Jeff Elliott , Trainer /Heather Padfield
Mid row L-R ............ Eden McFarlane, Kelsey Padfield, Daniel McBride, Madison McBride
Front row ................. Sophia Tomani / Goalkeeper
Absent from photo - Manager / Mary Lynn Young, Trainer / Colleen Craig, Eartha Phorson, Lauren Jolley
article submitted by Gord Kemp