THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2018 SPORTS | 9 SPORTS HOCKEY / JUNIOR B NOT SO GREAT OUTDOORSMAN / STEVE GALEA Just one win in three tries Making the shift from as Kings have rough weekend no shoes to Stratford and Kitchener continue to have Elmira’s number, with lone snowshoes victory coming over Brantford in OT FAISAL ALI “I wouldn’t say that OPEN there’s anything really out- I ’ lying there, that there’s one COUNTRY the Kings were hoping thing that’s different, other for, winning just once in than the work. It seems O three tries. An overtime every time we play them, calls for anyone who en- win against Brantford was we put our skill before our joys winter is when to offset by continued futil- work and we don’t manage decide it’s appropriate to ity against Stratford and the puck that well. And start wearing snowshoes Kitchener. you’re not going to have a in public. Wear them too Playing first in Stratford lot of happy nights when early and you’ll look silly. November 30, the Kings you do that.” Wear them too late and dropped a 3-2 decision Battling the Stratford you’ll be floundering in despite some late-game Warriors at the their arena deep snow. hustle. The day after in last Friday night, the Sugar There are many theories Brantford, the team eked Kings ceded the first 20 on determining the proper out a narrow 2-1 victory minutes of play to the time for snowshoes. There settled in double overtime. home team before making are also tried-and-true Sunday’s home match saw their mark. Stratford was rules such as never wear- the Kings fall 4-0 to the up two points by the first ing them in a month that visiting Kitchener Dutch- intermission, their first ends in une, uly or ust. men. goal coming 11 minutes A knowledgeable out- Halfway through the sea- into the frame. doorsman once told me son, the Elmira team finds The Kings responded that I could get a good itself in third place in the 9:32 into the second, with sense of when to don Midwestern Conference a short-handed marker off snowshoes if I watched with a record of 15-6-0-3, the stick of Kurtis Goodwin deer as they traversed comfortably in line for a (Damian Figueira, Mason through snow. I quickly playoff appearance that McMahon) putting the discarded this advice as they have to hope doesn’t Kings within one. Stratford I have never once seen a include the two teams they responded with a power deer wearing snowshoes. lost to last weekend. The play of their own less than I believe the best thing Kings have yet to beat ei- a minute later, however, Tensions were high at the Sugar Kings game against the second place Stratford Warriors at the William Allman Memorial Arena on Friday. to do is go to a place ther Stratford or Kitchener making it 3-1 after 40 min- The Kings came close, but ultimately fell to the Warriors. [VERONICA REINER / THE OBSERVER] where people routinely this season. utes. narrow 2-1 victory after an It would be the only point overtime. But even one over- snowshoe and then look Against the other top The third saw the Kings extra nine minutes of play. for the next half-hour of time was not enough. for tracks. teams in the conference struggle to find their mo- The goals were few and far play, with the second frame The deciding goal came in Once there, you need to – first-place Waterloo and mentum. A late goal from between in this game, with completely scoreless. second overtime, again off examine them carefully. fourth-place Listowel – Jonah Burley (Mason Mc- Elmira unable to capitalize The action ramped up the stick of Goodwin (Har- For instance, if you the Kings have won every Mahon, Hunter Dubecki) on the many chances in- again 13 minutes into the rison Toms, Dubecki). go to a place and see match. made it 3-2, but Elmira was dicative of outshooting the final stanza when Brant- After the previous night’s snowshoe tracks crossing “When we play them, it unable to rally for a come- home team 43-17. ford knotted the game 1-1 game in Stratford, Goodwin grassy patches, the odds boils down to them work- back. The game ended that Elmira’s Burley (Zack on a power play. Neither could easily have been de- are good that you should ing hard enough,” said way. Cameron) found the back side could break the tie in clared Elmira’s MVP of the probably wait for better head coach Trent Brown on The following day saw of the net first, putting the the final seven minutes of week. The young forward accumulations of snow. the Kings’ inability to best the Kings travel to Brant- Kings up 1-0 about halfway play, forcing both teams Stratford or Kitchener yet. ford, where they clinched a through the opening frame. to settle the difference in KINGS | 11 GALEA | 10 Our Belmont Clinic raised over $800 for to Aria Weber for winning the 3rd Annual SOS Physiotherapy Elmira Men’s Health Fall Colouring Contest and the $50 Gift Certificate at Toy Soup! Church St E SOS Physiotherapy will donate $5 for each of the 52 entries to Christmas Goodwill at WCS! for Movember! Thank you to all our entrants for decorating our windows as well! Walker St Arthur StELMIRA S 519•669•1212 www.sosphysiotherapy.ca 3 Wyatt St. EastJames St Wyatt St E 10 | SPORTS THE OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2018 GALEA: The key to snowshoe season is finding just the right time for making tracks FROM | 9 mine were belly-laughing should probably try them embarrassing times to Sure, you can snowshoe your snowshoes are keep- If you see snow and one then it is definitely too out too. wear them. on that already well- ing you afloat on the snow set of snowshoe tracks early. One the other hand, There might even be beaten trail, but you are and you might even feel and one set of boot tracks, If the snowshoe tracks tracks will also tell you some times that you not fooling anyone. Snow- superior to someone who it might be too early for suddenly deviate from when snowshoes are ab- should have worn them shoes are not required. is trying to traverse the snowshoes. Then again, the main trail and pause solutely necessary. For except for the fact that too Have no fear though. It’s trail without them – which hardly anyone is around, behind a thick tree or instance, if you walk up many others wore them not even winter yet. Soon- has always been the great- so do what you want. out building while many to a snowshoe trail and first. This typically hap- er or later you will have an est thing about snowshoe- If you see one set of boot tracks pass, it is too see several boot track that pens when you get to a opportunity to wear snow- ing, if you ask me. snowshoe tracks and they early but the snowshoer lead to toques sticking out popular snowshoe trail shoes. At that point, the When is that going to do a quick U-turn back bought a new pair and, of the snow, it’s probably late and a hundred other snow will be deeper than happen? to the parking lot after gosh-darn it, he’s going to time for snowshoes. snowshoers have already your knees and the paths I don’t know, but I can confronting several sets of get some use out of them The point here is there been there tamping it might be trodden but not tell you this. You won’t boot tracks of people who this winter. Therefore, if is no wrong time to wear down to the consistency of too packed down. find out from watching skilled a tracker can deter- you bought a new pair, you snowshoes – only highly concrete. Then, you will feel that deer. Girls’ hockey skills on display as Woolwich Wild hosts tournament Arenas in Elmira and St. Jacobs saw action from some two dozen teams last weekend during the Woolwich Wild Shootout Tournament. It was the first time in more than a decade the local organization hosted such an event. [VERONICA REINER / THE OBSERVER] VERONICA REINER resented were Burlington, ton Rayfield, Kyle Rank and The Woolwich Wild cade’s break from host- just bigger and better next Owen Sound, London, I are part of a tournament performed decently in the ing, local organizers were year and continued suc- I , Walkerton and Cambridge. committee, and we decided tournament for the most pleased with how the week- cess.” ’ was on It was the first time Wool- we wanted to try to do this.” part, with the LL1 team end went. Rank said he Running from Friday display in the township last wich had hosted such a “We just thought it was coming in second in the expects the tournament to through Sunday, the event weekend as 22 teams from tournament in more than a time, with the beautiful Novice house league divi- continue again in 2019. went smoothly and was across southern Ontario decade. facility that we have, we sion, with LL2 in fourth. “We got great feedback well-received, he noted. took part in the Woolwich “Girls’ hockey is start- thought it was time to show They placed third in Nov- from all the teams that were “Thanks to all the spon- Wild annual Shootout Tour- ing to become a bigger it off,” added Rank.