The second annual Tilston Challenge Cup has wrapped up, and depending on which side you were rooting for, ended up showcasing some spectacular hockey. When the pushing, shoving, whacking, and occasional dust up concluded, the Tomcats once again prevailed with solid 10-8, 10-7 games. The Tomcats are now 4-0 in the tourny and have yet to be pushed to a third required game. In reviewing both years scores, the Skipjacks have only been able to put up 15 total goals. Bookies will recall they lost the 2012 tourny 10-9, 10-6.
The return match up this year with the pesky Skipjacks featured a slightly altered lineup of pure youth, including the Biebs, making the first game in particular one of the more contested, and arguably better, of the two tilts. Just think of the argument of which team would have won had this tourny followed a timed playing event!!
Skippy, whom some hockey insiders criticize for trying to be both goalie and coach showed some crafty selections in some of the newer Skipjacks faces which were unleashed on the Tomcats. While sound in the sense of a plan – pit speed and youth against an arguable ageing Tomcats lineup. In the end the Skipjacks simply couldn’t match the play of their new found hated rivals. On several occasions the Tomcats simply outplayed the Skipjacks, even their line changes were well orchestrated catching the Skipjacks off guard.
This has always been the meat of the argument with this tourny; the Tomcats have a group of players who are well known to one another, and a look at their lineup speaks to the veterans who have helped shape the great Tomcats nation. Meanwhile the Skipjacks are still in their infancy, players have come and gone, and consistency in keeping players has been a problem. With the addition of some of the younger players, even the Biebs who made his presence known for some questionable dust ups, may end up eventually paying dividends and giving poor Skippy the trophy he now most covets – The Tilston Cup.
The Tomcats Turk later summed up playing against the Skipjacks Biebs in his usual no none sense way, “Hey if he were a kid in my high school the kid would have no teeth.”
Props to the Falcon, who the Skipjacks were really hoping to test his endurance with a third game. Falcon, along with the Rake were later overheard saying, “Yeah it was tiring chasing after guys half our age”.
Regardless of the minor dust ups, Skippy in a quiet meeting with Rocky of the Tomcats were already overheard planning the 2014 tourny; and Rocky was very receptive to continuing with the end goal of simply raising some cash on behalf of the Special Olympics. All players can hold their heads up high as $165 was collected, and the Skipjacks have committed to making the donation an even $200 by their season’s end.
And while Skippy may not have gotten that elusive win he craved, he will none the less take solace in the universal Special Olympics creed, “Let me win, But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Tomcats fans along with bookies and hockey bloggers will be watching to see if the Skipster can find his MVP form again with the rapidly approaching Tomcats Tourny. But until that time comes, I’m gonna ease my stress and tension via…
Pattyn MEGROYN.
NOTE: Please check “What the Tomcats Know” below in the blog. If you are on the list of expected players tonight but cannot make it, make sure Sparky, Hollywood or Rocky are aware. Hockey is better when we know who is playing!
Windsor Tomcats 