The ending on Wednesday (March 13) may not have been what the Mountain View Colts and their fans were hoping for, but it's clear that we can all be proud of these young men who gave it all they could against a very strong opponent.
The Colts actually led 3-1 for much of the game against the top seeded Airdrie Thunder on March 13. A win would've forced Game 7 in Airdrie. But it wasn't to be as the Thunder fought back for the win.
The Thunder were clearly the bigger team and they certainly set out to intimidate the smaller, younger Colts but the local boys wouldn't back down. Of course, that led to eight players being tossed out of the game midway through the second period after a scrum on the ice.
Heading into the season, the Colts were expecting to have a bit of a rebuild. The team lost their captain and leading scorer Colton Anderson to graduation. They also lost a few other key players such as Spencer Dowd and goalie Thomas Della Siega.
In addition, the Colts would add an entirely new coaching staff with no junior hockey coaching experience. Although Rob Turville and his staff had plenty of experience at the bantam level, junior B is generally a much bigger and quicker game.
Of course, the Colts ended up finishing a decent third place in the Heritage League's north division. They then swept Ponoka 2-0 in the first round before going on to an epic come-from-behind series win over Red Deer after trailing three games to none.
Heading into the north division final against the Thunder many thought there would be a quick end to the Colts' season but the squad led 2-1 in the best-of-seven after a couple of big wins.
Unfortunately, the Thunder's size and depth eventually won out as they beat the Colts 6-1 at home to take a 3-2 series lead and finished it off in Didsbury on March 13.
So consider this a tip of the hat to the coaches and players for stepping up and exceeding expectations. As well, a shout-out to the fans who supported the team all season and throughout the playoff run.
- Craig Lindsay is the reporter for the Mountain View Gazette
