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Wolves host Grand Ravine for showcase game

March 19, 2014   ·   0 Comments

WolveswebBy Brian Lockhart –

“I’m going to show them what Orangeville is all about,” Said Orangeville Wolves goalie Adam Thompson prior to Saturday night’s showcase game at the Alder Street arena in Orangeville.

There was a good crowd – around 350 in attendance – to watch the Wolves take on Grand Ravine from Toronto.

The Wolves are a team of developmentally challenged players of various ages, who love, and we mean love, the game of hockey.

They play every Sunday at the arena and take part in tournaments with other teams.

Stepping out onto the ice in front of a large crowd added a lot of excitement to the game for these players who gave their all against the Toronto team.

For goalie Adam, this was, he said, “the best game ever.”

Playing between the pipes, he said, meant he was focused on the play and kept his eye on the puck.

He said he didn’t full any pressure being in net, he just focused.

“I just remember seeing the puck, it was black, and I can still see. I think I took ten or 11 shots on net.”

After the game, Adam removed his goalie mask revealing his typical ‘hockey hair’ from working up a sweat on the ice after playing the full game.

He has great enthusiasm for the game he loves.

“Playing hockey is the best thing to do,” Adam said. “It’s out there for people with disabilities, and I like to get out there and participate. We all like to get out there and play hockey and that’s what it’s all about.”

Wolves as a club have been around for 15 years and show no signs of slowing down.

“The Wolves play Sunday mornings next door, (on pad 2) and nobody ever gets to see them,” Said Kevin Stone, head coach of the Orangeville Flyers Junior A team and a member on the executive of the Wolves organization. “We’re constantly going to the community and asking for fundraising support and sponsors are coming out of the woodwork. We thought, lets do a showcase for the wolves so everyone can see them. On Sunday mornings, a lot of people can’t make the games, so it’s Saturday night – a big game.”

While both teams played hard in the Saturday night showcase game, the final result was a 7-7 tie according to the scoreboard.

There are 22 players on the Wolves team this year, and they have just over a month to get ready for their next tournament which will be taking place in Michigan at the end of April.

The Wolves will be there for four days and will be playing teams from across the continent.

Getting ready for the tournament, Adam said, will require a lot of practise and honing the skills they have been learning on the ice during their weekly games.

“We’re working on lots of skills and everything we need to work on – practicing and warming up – that’s what we need to do.”

For this club, being a community and meeting with friends is as important as the game itself.

The club has had the opportunity to travel over the years and has visited many different centres in Canada, the U.S., and even Europe.

The trip to Michigan is already booked and the team is anxious to take part and show what they can do.


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