No one can say todays 2016 International Police, Fire & Military gold medal game was anything short of epic. The game between Canada Fire and Lewiston Police was a fast paced, hard fought battle from the second the bag pipes left the ice and the puck dropped. Lewiston would come on to the ice with a full line up of 17 players while Canada would dress 9, this would prove to not make any difference as both teams would have to give 100% to earn every inch of ice. The game took place after a short opening ceremony in which the local pipes and drums played a few songs at center ice, the Canadian and American national anthems were sung.

The game would start off fast, and fans could tell from the second the puck dropped that the game would be close, and if you were a betting man you would not know which way this one would go. Canada had the first big chance of the game when Yan Verhoef would ring one off the pipes only two minutes into the contest. Lewiston would test Canada and sneak one by tournament MVP  Bryce Luker as it would bounce over the shoulder of the star net minder. Canada would not take long to answer the challenge. Shortly after going down by one, Yan Verhoef would get a chance from the top left circle, and this time he would find no post, but would find the back of the Lewiston net putting the puck right though the legs of the Lewiston net minder.

Shortly after Verhoef goal Defensemen Mathew Sonntag would find the net when he would send a low shot from the point on net and beat the goaltender over the right pad.  Canada would keep pressing till the end of the first when they got a well deserved break. Goaltender Luker and Alternate Captain Eric Peace would speak to the team and tell them to remain calm and play smart hockey!   

Early in the second period Eric Peace would win a faceoff to Ben Cuneo on the right wing, Cuneo would backhand pass the puck to his brother on the point, who would not wait long to send a bullet over the Lewiston net minders shoulder off the bar and into the back of the net! Cuneo’s goal would put Canada up 3 to 1. The score would remain 3 to 1 until late in the second, when Lewiston would score on the powerplay, making it 3 to 2.

During the second period break Captains Cuneo and Peace would tell the team to keep the pressure on, and ensure that the shifts were quick, and most importantly that the team kept a third man back to help the defense. The third period would start with Canada hemmed in their own zone, but as was the story all tournament, Luker would let nothing sneak by. Luker would then join the offense as Lewiston dumped the puck in, Luker would race behind the net and stop the puck leaving it for Defensemen Jon Cuneo, Cuneo would take the puck down the left hand side of the ice and in to the Lewiston zone racing past their attacking wingers, and shoot the puck. The puck would find its way thrugh the net minder and in to the net, giving Canada a 4 to 2 lead. 

With the 4 to 2 lead, Canada would lock down the defensive zone for the remainder of the game. Canada would score again when Mathew Sonntag got the puck from Ryan Carr and walked the line low, Sonntag would shoot and beat the goaltender with a rocket on the inside post. Lewiston would manage to squeeze one more by Luker, but the momentum that would give the LPD was short lived, as Eric Peace would seal the deal when LPD pulled there goaltender with one min to go in the game. Peace would line up to the left of Luker and win the draw back to Sonntag who would battle to move the puck and find Peace in support, Peace would not wait long to send the puck toward the open cage and seal the deal for Canada.

Overall the game was a great battle between two very well matched teams, and as always in a Police vs. Fire or Blue vs. Red game the rivalry was pushing each team to the next level.  It goes without saying that it took a full team to come together like a family to accomplish this victory. The dressing room for Canada was a place where no matter your talent level, or place on the team, you found support and brothers that always had your back. In the final game, a good crowd was on hand to support both LFD and CFFHC. This is the first time in the history of the International Game that Canada has taken home gold! The team has already vowed to return next year and work hard to defend their title.  The team was given a trophy that will travel throughout the Ontario team members fire stations, until June, then find its way to Alberta where it will make its way throughout the Alberta stations, before returning to Maine in preparation for the 2017 games.

To find out more about the teams trip, and the road to gold, check back next week... as we will be taking you  though the teams ups and downs.

Local News Article

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston-auburn/2016/01/17/6th-annual-winter-games-raise-money-shriners-hospitals-children/1854368