Wolves Howl to Victory

Otonabee Wolves OMHA Midget "D" champs

By MIKE DAVIES Examiner Sports Director

The Otonabee Wolves midgets are champions again.

Three years ago as bantams the majority of this year's midget team won the Otonabee Minor Hockey Association its first OMHA championship in more than 30 years. On Sunday, they added the OMHA midget D title to their collection and they did it in dramatic fashion.

On Saturday, the Wolves blew a chance to wrap up the title on home ice watching a 2-1 lead evaporate into a 3-2 overtime loss to the Grand Valley Twisters before a packed house at the Otonabee South Monaghan Community Centre. Things didn't start much better Sunday in Grand Valley as the Twisters scored twice in the game's opening two minutes.

Cue the comeback.

With five minutes left in the third period Kyle Patterson struck and less than a minute later Ryan Adamson tied it forcing overtime. With 1:32 left in extra time Wade Manley scored the winner to give Otonabee a 3-2 victory and the six-point series 7-3.

“At the start of the year we had our coach-player meetings and I threw it out there 'What do you guys want to accomplish,'” said first-year coach Kevin Lee, who volunteered to lead the team so it wouldn't disband and so his son Tyler had a place to play. “A couple of the senior boys spoke up and said winning another OMHA championship would be a nice way to finish up. Everyone bought in and here they are, they accomplished it.”

To win it the way they did will stick with Lee the most. They were up 2-1 on Saturday when captain Jake Withers was assessed a five-minute goaltender interference penalty and was ejected from the game. Grand Valley tied it on the power play and extended the series by winning in overtime.

“I was extremely pissed off we lost and we had a chat after the game and I suggested they remember the feeling and how much it sucks,” said Lee. “They mentioned it on the bench again just before overtime today.”

Withers was suspended for the final game and Lee said the boys wanted to win it for him. Withers and Denvers Whalen had scored for Otonabee Saturday.

“The boys stepped up and used it as a rallying point,” said Lee. “Jake was upset and his mom was extremely upset he got that call. Sure, maybe, he shouldn't have been in the crease but it shouldn't have been a five-minute major. That's what the refs saw and we had to live with it.”

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Courtesy The Peterborough Examiner...thanks from the Otonabee Wolves!