First, it was seven goals in a preliminary match-up against a Sting team the Bruins thought they wouldn't see again. Then it was the 7th shooter in a championship game against a Seneca team that almost stung Sheridan the second time around.
Sheridan claimed the 2010 Challenge Cup title with a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory over Seneca that wasn't decided until the 7th shooter. It was the second year in a row that the Challenge Cup final has been decided in extra time.
Sheridan entered the tourney as the 8th seed but played like a front runner, reeling off a 6-2 win over #5 Georgian-Orillia and a convincing 7-1 win over #4 Seneca in the preliminary round. This set up a quarter-final tilt against #6 Georgian-Barrie in which the Bruins survived a ferocious Grizzly onslaught in the 3rd period nursing a 2-0 lead to prevail 4-1. Next up was #2 Durham and Sheridan's two quick goals in the second period proved to be a difference in the 4-0 win. Durham had advanced via a tough 2-1 win over Georgian-Orillia, who in turn had barely made the quarter-finals thanks to a 6-5 shootout win over #1 Humber-North that eliminated the Hawks from the playoffs.
This set-up a suprise rematch with Seneca in the final.
Seneca started the tourney well with a 3-1 win over #9 Canadore before getting rocked by Sheridan. This set up a quarterfinal match-up with #3 George Brown, which Seneca pulled out by a 3-1 count. Next up was a semi-final tilt against #11 Fleming-Lindsay, who had prevailed against Boreal, Humber-Lakeshore and U of T Scarborough after losing their opener to Durham. The Sting and the Auks were deadlocked at two until the Sting scored with just over 3 minutes to play and held on for the victory.
Sheridan may have thought they were in for an easy ride against Seneca but it was not to be. Both teams battled hard, with Sheridan taking a 2-1 lead with just over two-minutes to play, only to see the Sting tie the game up again with under one minute to play. Overtime almost saw Seneca take the title but a great save off of a two-on-one in the dying seconds send the game to a shootout. When the regulation shootout decided nothing, it was on to sudden death where finally the Bruins 7th shooter potted the championship winner.
Congratulations to all teams who participated in the extramural hockey Challenge Series and to those teams who qualified for the Challenge Cup. The level of play and interest in extramural hockey has never been higher, with 35 teams from 28 OCCCR-affiliated institutions and four university campuses taking part in tournaments this year. With Sheridan's win this year and Boreal's in 2009, extramural hockey seems to embody the adage that on any given day, anyone can win - but you need to get there to have a shot!
What team will roll lucky 7s in 2011?
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