MEDIA RELEASE
NORTH SHORE JUNIOR HOCKEY
March 13th, 2014,
ESPANOLA, Ontario, Canada
Espanola and the North Shore gear up for Game One ………….
As I drove into the Espanola Regional Recreation Complex this past Sunday morning for our final regular season home game it was hard not to look ahead to game one of the Quarter round play-off series against our community arch-rivals of Sudbury.
It was easy to forget that we had one more home game, one more date with the Goldminers from Kirkland Lake. After all, our last regular season game was a MEANINGLESS game. Everything had been decided , were playing big, bad Sudbury in the playoffs, why even play the game I wondered ?
As Coach McCarthy and I made our way to the bench and looked across the rink, something we had already done 27 other times this season, it was hard not to be taken back with the sight of more than 600 Rivermen faithful packed into the Complex who came to hang on to every shift, every shot, doing all in their power to channel their support to help motivate their beloved Rivermen, just as they have all in year in just the communities first season back in junior hockey.
In the end the clock didn’t read what we all would have liked it to , but as we made our way to the dressing room not one of the more than 600 loyal, trusting, faithful Rivermen fans had left their seats and loudly cheered their Home Team off the ice as they do, a site that has become more and more familiar each and every home game.
If game 56 was a MEANINGLESS game someone forgot to tell the Rivermen fans.
Thank you for a great regular season Espanola and North Shore junior hockey fans, we hope you enjoy your first playoff ride in many years,
hang on, get loud, stay proud, were about to have alot of fun.
Scott Ginson
VP of Operations
Espanola Regional Recreation Complex
175 Avery Drive, Espanola, Ontario
www.espanolajuniorhockey.net
