Can you say “drama”? There certainly was no shortage of it Thursday evening when the Bracebridge Swiss Chalet novice Bears hosted the Parry Sound Shamrocks in a one-game, winner-take-all series to determine who would take home the title of Muskoka-Parry Sound champion.

This was a highly anticipated showdown as the rivalry between the Bears and Parry Sound has escalated throughout the year. With the end of the hockey season upon us and limited ice available, a Thursday evening game was agreed upon by both teams. With home-ice advantage, the opening faceoff saw a pumped-up Bears club hit the ice ready to get down to business.

The first period was largely dominated by the Bears as they kept the puck in Parry Sound’s end, cranking shot after shot on net. With just over two minutes remaining in the period, centre Parker Bowman slid the puck to fellow forward Luca Barnes. Barnes passed it on to Zack Bell who sliced his way to the net where he fired the puck with complete confidence. The Bears were leading 1-0.

Period two saw more fine hockey as Bracebridge continued to pass brilliantly among each other.

The defensive backbone of Nathan Lyndon and Oliver Hammond made sure to cease and desist any attempts by Parry Sound to cross the blue-line. Campbell Coutts and Melle Van’t Wout stayed focused and cool, protecting their goalie and keeping the puck up and out of the Bears’ end.

With 3-1/2 minutes remaining in the period, Bowman spanked the puck past the Shamrocks’ goalie with assists going to Barnes and Keegan Tannahill. One minute later, the Shamrocks flew down the ice, deking their way past the Bears goaltender, ending the period 2-1.

The third period brought the arena to life as the crowd was big and the enthusiasm electric. Forwards Nolan Rochette and Tahner Lamorie pushed themselves to the limit with their swift skating and diligent resourcefulness. Time and again they created plays and kept the puck just within the blue-line, giving their fellow Bears more opportunities to shoot on net.

In all fairness to Parry Sound, the Shamrocks were displaying a fierce desire to win, with a relentless and compelling pursuit of both the puck and any player that got in the way. Needless to say, this made for a real nail-biter of a game.

At the nine-minute mark, Lyndon made a bold move to gain control of the puck. He swiftly pushed the puck to assist winger Bell, who was wide open. Bell skyrocketed toward the net where he shot the puck, giving the Bears a 3-1 lead. Bracebridge was shining but also seemed to begin to show signs of slowing down. Parry Sound took advantage of this and quickly hit the scoreboard, making for a very nervous Bears bench. The score was now 3-2.

This game, unbeknownst to all, had, in fact, only just begun. Both teams were scrambling to get on the puck. A certain amount of panic seemed to hit the two clubs. While Parry Sound had several sensational shots on net, Bears goaltender Christopher Cousineau rose to the occasion and reacted with lightning speed. In a shocking moment, with only 1:21 remaining on the clock, Parry Sound fired an NHL-worthy shot, top shelf to tie the game. Simply unreal. The game was now heading into overtime.

The arena was filling up with parents and teams arriving for their own ice times. The fourth period began with the usual 10-minute clock time. The “oohs” and “aahs” sounded orchestrated as shots were taken and shots were missed. The scrambling between the two teams was incredible. This period was dramatic and intense as neither team was going down without a serious smackdown. Realistically, this game could swing either way.

Lyndon and Hammond were simply defensive powerhouses. Time after time, Lyndon stopped the puck and made calculated passes to his brothers up front. Offensively, Tannahill, Lamorie, Barnes, Bowman and Bell fought to keep the puck up the ice and out of the hands of the Shamrocks. The clock ticked on and period four finally ended scoreless.

Period five kicked off with the arena buzzing at the excitement of a championship game at stake. As the puck dropped, the game of “cat and mouse” carried on. The Bears were hungry and the Shamrocks determined — a recipe for a very compelling competition. The momentum was hard and the tension thick as the rivalry escalated the intensity of the period.

Both teams were beginning to show signs of fatigue, but the battle raged on. Bracebridge and Parry Sound were playing smart and simply trying to keep the puck out of each other’s end. Guess what? The period ended scoreless. Period six was on its way.

Now, just to put a humorous spin on things, by the time the sixth period started, all of these seven- and eight-year-old boys typically would have already been tucked into bed, dreaming about which NHL team they’d like to play for. But first, there was business to tend to.

The sixth period seemed to rejuvenate the Bears team as they appeared to have caught their second wind. The faceoff saw the Bracebridge players fly down the ice, continuing to make smart passes. There seemed to be a certain air of calm on the Bears’ bench and on the ice as well. The panic was replaced by confidence.

The Bears dominated from the moment the puck dropped. They seemed fuelled by sheer determination. Only 3-1/2 minutes into the period, the defence slid the puck up the ice where centre Tannahill flew up the boards. Tannahill made a magnificent pass to fellow winger Lamorie. Lamorie, reading his brother Bear’s mind, skated to centre ice where he one-timed the puck top shelf, netting the championship-winning goal, a moment that all kids dream of.

The crowd went wild as the arena was really buzzing now! No shortage of drama; no shortage of intensity. Simply a well-fought, well-delivered hockey game by both teams.

Hard to believe this was only novice hockey.

Once again, this Swiss Chalet novice Bears rep team made their town proud. With an impressive season record of 17-1-0, it only seemed appropriate to end things on a high note. Perhaps a sign of future hockey that is in store for us all. Kudos to the Parry Sound Shamrocks for delivering a stellar performance.