That’s a Wrap

Article by I. Schoonderbeek / Media by R. Mansfield

The Clarington Eagles entered Friday’s game five matchup of the 2024 Schmalz Cup final versus the Lakeshore Canadiens with their backs to the wall. They had fallen a goal short in the series’s previous three meetings, trailing 3-1. They needed to be perfect the rest of the way.

Unfortunately for the dedicated Eagles fans in attendance, the boys came up a goal short once more, dropping an exciting 5-4 decision at Rickard Arena. For the second time in three seasons, the Lakeshore Canadiens are PJHL champions.

The game started out on a positive note for the Eagles. They headed into the first intermission sporting a 2-goal lead on tallies from Everitt Corneil and Kolby Poulin.

But Lakeshore is a resilient group that makes the most of their opportunities. Within the second period’s first two minutes of play, the game was tied up at two.

The Eagles bench utilized their timeout to settle the troops. But a few minutes later, the Canadiens capitalized on their fourth powerplay opportunity of the contest to take a 3-2 lead.

But Clarington was not about to go down without a fight. At 14:01 of the middle frame, Poulin potted his second of the game on a rebound from a Ryan Hall point shot to pull the teams even again at three.

The Eagles’ penalty kill had been outstanding all game. But the Lakeshore powerplay has been lethal in the series. With less than two minutes to play in the middle frame, the Canadiens got the break they needed when the Eagles were assessed a questionable, at best, five-minute major for charging.

Lakeshore would score twice early in the third on the resulting powerplay to take a commanding 5-3 lead.

For some teams, a scenario like this would be completely disheartening. Not only does Lakeshore boast outstanding skill up front, but they also have one of the top defenses in the league. But this Eagles team went right back to work!

At 15:58 of the third, that hard work was rewarded when Kyle Smith pulled them back within one to make it 5-4.

Clarington pulled Oliver Webster late in the contest in an attempt to force overtime, but it was not to be. As the clock ticked down to zero, the Lakeshore bench and their passionate fans celebrated a hard-earned victory to take the series four games to one. All five games were decided by one goal.

This Clarington Eagles team left it all on the ice. There were players who wanted to be in the lineup but couldn’t. There were players in the line-up who likely shouldn’t have been playing. Players put their bodies on the line every night for 72 combined regular season and playoff games, all while balancing school and work lives. They made Clarington proud.

Congratulations to the Lakeshore Canadiens on a hard-fought and well-deserved victory.

As team writer, I do not typically enter the dressing room for post-game talks. I’ve always considered that area of the arena to be the players’ and coaches’ sanctuary. Any comments the staff or players wish to make on the record are handled one-on-one in the hallway after the game. On this, the final game of the 2023-24 season, Eagles head coach Dean Baumhauer tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to come in.

Baumhauer is a big personality to say the least! He’s never been shy to let people know exactly what he’s thinking. That larger-than-life persona sometimes makes him and his team an easy target for haters around the league, many of whom have never actually seen the Eagles play. Success does breed hate after all.

What others don’t get to see is the day-to-day interactions between coaching staff and players on this hockey club. Baumhauer and his staff are like “second dads” to these players in many respects. Tough, but fair. Always there to listen if the boys need to talk. Pushing when required.

After Friday’s contest, the players were understandably disappointed. For some, this was their final competitive game. But in his post-game talk, Baumhauer expressed nothing but pride and respect for the effort of his troops and all they had accomplished this season.

One by one, he addressed each and every player in the room, pumping them back up until they held their heads high. Despite an exhausting and devastating defeat on the ice, everyone left the arena feeling good about their season. That’s what a good coach does. That’s why players want to play here. That’s why this program has been successful since Baumhauer took the reins.

There were no one-on-one post-game interviews. None were required. Dean said all that needed to be said to his boys.

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A quick note of thanks to the Eagles’ coaching staff and players for their cooperation this season. It’s not easy for everyone to come out and talk after a game, especially after one that doesn’t go your way. The staff and players have been nothing short of fantastic the past two seasons! The extra material you guys provide adds added colour to the game write-ups. It has been a pleasure getting to know you and seeing your development as players and people.