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| July 28, 2004
By Irish #19
Day Twelve
|  Tour Mudcats take Midget Platinum in OT Thriller - Mite and Pee Wee Platinum Pairs Down to Four - Silver Gets Going
Midget Platinum:
The day started for me with the two semi-final games, Cobras v. Team Tour St Louis and Mudcats against the Cold Shots.
The Cold Shots participated in the great Honeybaked melt down in the quarters the night before, when they were behind 7-3 with six minutes left, and won 10-7, in one of the strangest games on record. However, it seems the emotion of that night affected the Cold Shots because they came out flat against the Mudcats.
It was a first period one timer from John Kemp to Brad Ellis (playing together for the first time since Squirts), that gave the Cats their first goal. It proved to be the winning goal, as the Cats from Cali cruised into the final, with a 4-0 shut out.
Cobras came into the final the number 1 seed, a seed they earned through the great goal tending of Kris Kransky. However, Team St Louis smelled blood from the drop of the puck and jump up 2-0. However, in the last couple of minutes to play in the first, the Cobras strike twice and even the score. Halfway through the second, St Louis gets some breaks and odd man rushes and they get two goals, to go ahead, 4-2.
Cobras would not lie down, and St Louis gets two penalties and the game ends with St Louis down 2 players. However, the St Louis goalie comes up strong and St Louie advances to the final.
Bantam Platinum Final
The teams trade shots, and rushes, but both goalies are strong, until Charlie Middleton runs off two goals at the 9:42 and 6:40 mark of the first period of play.
St Louis puts one in, but the Cats answer right back with Charlie Middleton’s third of the game and Brad Ellis first. The first period ends 4-1 in favor of the Mudcats.
To start the second, the Cats must have swallowed hairballs because St Louis comes out and runs off 4 straight in under 4 minutes of play, to go ahead by 1, 5-4. Goals were by Kramer, Gawyrs and O’Kane.
The Mudcats finally stemmed the rupture, and Redman steels himself and becomes stone. With four minutes to play, Charlie Middleton gets his fourth of the game, to tie it. The last four minutes end with the Mudcats charging but the St Louis goalie up to the task.
In the OT period, Redman turns away early scoring chances by St Louis, and then a puck bounces wide and Brock Bookholder beats Louie to the puck and takes it in dragging a St Louis defenseman, getting the OT winner at 10:58 of the OT period, securing NARCh gold.
Gold – Tour Mudcats
Silver – Tour St Louis
Bronze – Cobras
My boys. The Tour Mudcats. In many ways they were my boys with the same last names and the desire to win at the highest level and in the right way. Brandon Ellis, their young coach. Chris Ellis, Danny Ellis and Brad Ellis. Team Inbred. Brock Bookholder, Raf Rodriguez, Sawyer Stephens, John Kemp, Charlie Middleton, Kevin Adams and then you have one of the best goalies ever to play roller hockey, Troy Redman.
For me, though, I will always think first of Chris, Charlie, Brad and Brock. The first few, the Red Army boys and the core of the great team that are now champions. And I write this very sad as well, as it was the last time Brad Ellis will skate with the Mudcats in the foreseeable future. Tour USA 87 moves up to challenge them.
But that is next season. As one of the original Mudcats, Brad joined the Red Army boys of Simi Valley and at times only the four of them would play with Danny in net. Then, they had just successfully challenged the OC Blades in TPC and were on the rise. And, like anything, it did not all happen without bumps in the road. The Mudcats struggled at times with Brad’s style and how to integrate his speed with the slow down offense. St Paul 2002 as Red Army we made the cut but went no further. He took the TPC Championship away from them season before this one with an Overtime goal for Las Vegas, but returned to the Mudcats this season and got the Overtime goal that gave them the TPC Championship.
But it was all good, and all positive. The second Gold Medal of the tournament for Brad, and he is a very happy young man…
We say goodbye but not farewell, and we leave with a Gold Medal in the 18u Midget Platinum division, and with the sole exception of when they play Tour USA 87 we wish them the very, very best. We leave them at the top of the game.
It was the best way to say goodbye to good friends.
Now, we look forward to kicking your butts next season…he he he.
Mite Platinum Update:
Last night I said the undefeated teams were the Orlando Outlaws, Blast 93/94 and Tour Smoke. I also said Orlando looks strongest “right now.” It’s nice when the boys and girls don’t make me look stupid.
It’s now down to four teams. Tour Smoke, St Louis Blast, AMB Blue and Orlando Outlaws.
Tour Smoke will take on the AMB Blue and I think this one will be a toss up, and if an upset will happen, it will happen here.
Blast will take on Orlando, and Orlando could upset the Blast here.
Again, the four teams are all playing very well, so no predictions.
Pee Wee Platinum Update:
Quarterfinals end with the usual suspects advancing.
OC Blades, the first seed, took on Hotwheels and beat them 9-1 to advance to the semi-finals. Wither their first seed, this guarantees them a medal.
Tour St Louis Blast 89ers 4, over a scrappy and talented Mission Everblades, secure the other semi-final spot.
Primal Black beats OCB 90, for the third semi-final spot.
Finally, the VC Vipers over AMB Blue, 3-2, to secure the final spot.
Tomorrow…
Conventional wisdom says the OCB 89 should win. I am not so sure, but am also not ready to say an upset is on the horizon. Who will make it? OCB 89 and Blast 89ers are playing the best, with OCB 89 looking smoother right now…
Prediction: toss up.
Division 1 Update:
Anaheim Mission Bulldogs and Team Tour a4re the two favorites and while I think the other teams are playing well, these two were playing smooth.
In any event, AMB, the first seed, will take on the winner of the Pirate v. HotSkates play off. Pirates should advance. AMB should move on against either team.
Team Tour will play Mission Snipers. Now, again, Team Tour in my view should move on over the Snipes, but this seems to be a big NARCh for them and to be honest, I think there is another upset brewing here and another championship…
Tomorrow
Silver starts to shake out.
Mite Platinum Final.
Pee Wee Platinum Final.
D1 Final.
We are in the home stretch.
To read Irish #19's previous articles on NARCh 2004 see the Latest News section.
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