The Stirling Blues U9MD wrapped up their regular season in thrilling fashion on Sunday afternoon, securing a 2-1 victory over the Napanee Stars on home ice. With the close score against the Stars for the majority of the game, it kept everyone on the edge of their seat. While the Blues may not have delivered the effort they had hoped for in their final game, the result was nonetheless a testament to their resilience, capping off a perfect regular season that also saw them claim three tournament championships in Haliburton, Belleville, and Elmvale.
Goaltender Elliott Eady played the hero for the Blues, coming up with multiple key saves to keep the Blues in contention and help seal the win. Owen Jenkins contributed both goals for the team, including the game-winner in the dying minutes.
Despite the victory, the coaching staff expressed some frustration with the team’s performance, noting that the effort was not up to their usual standard. However, they remain confident in their squad's ability to rise to the occasion when it matters most. "We weren’t thrilled with the way we played today, but we know this team is resilient. They always come ready to play for the big moments, and we don’t expect this weekend to be any different," said the Blues' coaches. They followed with "we are incredibly proud of what this young team has accomplished during the regular season and are confident that they will bring their best effort for the weekend ahead".
The Blues will now turn their attention to the U9MD EOMHL Championship Weekend in Napanee, where they will face off against the top three teams from the west division. With a couple of practices ahead to fine-tune their game, the young squad will be eager to bring their best effort and continue their winning ways on the big stage. Game 1 of the round-robin championship will be at 8:30 a.m., followed by games at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.