50p
The Ross Cup
Every February, Brentwood hosts the Ross Cup, a hockey tournament in honor of former Headmaster, Mr. Bill Ross. As BC's largest high school hockey tournament, it is accompanied by excitement and athletic skill. Most years, the players fight valiantly and place a modest fourth or fifth, but this year was quite another story. This February, for the first time in twelve years, Brentwood's Senior team made it all the way to the final playoff game. And so did the Juniors.
Parents, local supporters, and students alike all gathered at Kerry Park Arena to cheer on their team from Thursday the 24th to Saturday the 26th. The stands boasted enthusiastic fans cheering for their favorite player's goal, and gasping when the occasional tussle broke out. Fans watched intently as the teams climbed their way to the finals.
From the eyes of a player, the game was not only physically demanding, but a testament to time at Brentwood as a whole. Captain Gavin Stephen likens the Ross Cup to "the pinnacle of our season, where tough practices and intense conditioning all finally pays off". This year, the payoff was huge. The intense gold medal match against Lord Tweedsmuir ended with a 2-2 tie, and went into overtime. The pressure was on, and defenseman Johnathan Beckett described his overtime experience as feeling "nervous that they would score on me, tired because three on three requires you to play all positions, and excited because at the time it seemed like we were dominating the play". The five minute overtime was to no avail, as no goals were scored, even though the players "felt as if we could have won if we had kept playing three on three. We had a full bench and their players’ stamina was diminishing quickly". This meant that the two teams would have to end it all in a shootout.
As the referees and coaches conspired to design the final trial, the tension was palpable for the team. Brentwood had not made it this far in the tournament in a decade, and the pressure to perform was on. James Laing mused "we all felt the responsibility to our school to play to our utmost ability, to really represent that Brentwood is the best".
A blanket of silence fell over the team, and the three shooters were chosen for the destiny-deciding shootout. As they skated up and took their shot, the goalie of the opposing team proved to be superior to the might of their flying pucks. Brentwood lost in the shoot out, but gained something invaluable in the tournament as a whole. Along with an impressive silver medal, the team skated off the now rough ice truly bonded in the intangible ties of camaraderie.
Once the helmets were hung up, the sticks stacked, and jerseys retired, the team walked out of the rink with their heads still high. Received by supportive friends, doting mothers, and awestruck significant others, the Senior Hockey team felt proud of their remarkable performance in this year's Ross Cup. Coach Flynn walked out of the locker room that day with an air of pride and reverence for his players, as Ross Cup 2011 was the first time Brentwood received a medal in 12 years. Wait until 2012.
Parents, local supporters, and students alike all gathered at Kerry Park Arena to cheer on their team from Thursday the 24th to Saturday the 26th. The stands boasted enthusiastic fans cheering for their favorite player's goal, and gasping when the occasional tussle broke out. Fans watched intently as the teams climbed their way to the finals.
From the eyes of a player, the game was not only physically demanding, but a testament to time at Brentwood as a whole. Captain Gavin Stephen likens the Ross Cup to "the pinnacle of our season, where tough practices and intense conditioning all finally pays off". This year, the payoff was huge. The intense gold medal match against Lord Tweedsmuir ended with a 2-2 tie, and went into overtime. The pressure was on, and defenseman Johnathan Beckett described his overtime experience as feeling "nervous that they would score on me, tired because three on three requires you to play all positions, and excited because at the time it seemed like we were dominating the play". The five minute overtime was to no avail, as no goals were scored, even though the players "felt as if we could have won if we had kept playing three on three. We had a full bench and their players’ stamina was diminishing quickly". This meant that the two teams would have to end it all in a shootout.
As the referees and coaches conspired to design the final trial, the tension was palpable for the team. Brentwood had not made it this far in the tournament in a decade, and the pressure to perform was on. James Laing mused "we all felt the responsibility to our school to play to our utmost ability, to really represent that Brentwood is the best".
A blanket of silence fell over the team, and the three shooters were chosen for the destiny-deciding shootout. As they skated up and took their shot, the goalie of the opposing team proved to be superior to the might of their flying pucks. Brentwood lost in the shoot out, but gained something invaluable in the tournament as a whole. Along with an impressive silver medal, the team skated off the now rough ice truly bonded in the intangible ties of camaraderie.
Once the helmets were hung up, the sticks stacked, and jerseys retired, the team walked out of the rink with their heads still high. Received by supportive friends, doting mothers, and awestruck significant others, the Senior Hockey team felt proud of their remarkable performance in this year's Ross Cup. Coach Flynn walked out of the locker room that day with an air of pride and reverence for his players, as Ross Cup 2011 was the first time Brentwood received a medal in 12 years. Wait until 2012.
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