Thunder roll to fourth SOSSA title
The fourth time was also a charm for the Blessed Trinity Thunder.
The Thunder topped the Waterdown Warriors 1-0 in overtime Tuesday in Grimsby to capture their fourth consecutive SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association) girls AAA hockey championship.
The Thunder won the title in dramatic fashion as fifth-year forward Rylee Cryderman scored the winner less than a minute into the five-minute extra period.
“That was unbelievable,” BT coach Rich Vrataric said. “Starting overtime shorthanded and for Riley to rush up the ice, pull the goalie out and get a goal, was really something.”
The Thunder now advance to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations playdowns in Midland, where they will be looking for their first medal.
“We’ve always been able to have a solid core of players to help us to four SOSSA titles and some success at the end of the year,” Vrataric added.
The Thunder advanced to the finals with a 2-0 win over the Denis Morris Reds earlier in the day. The Warriors blanked the A.N. Myer Marauders 6-0 in their semifinal to advance.
BT goalie Amanda Rampado was in net for both shutouts.
“Amanda has been nothing short of amazing over the last four years. She’s well over 75 wins and is the cornerstone of this team,” said Vrataric, a former Sutherland Cup winner with the Niagara Falls Canucks.
Rampado, a 17-year-old, Grade 12 student, is used to being in pressure situations with the Thunder.
“It was (nerve-wracking). It’s either the third or fourth time now we’ve had to play in overtime or a shootout for a SOSSA title. I was just hoping we could pull in out like last year,” she said.
Rampado had faith her teammates would find a way to pull it out.
“It used to (stress me) but at this point I have trust in my team and know they’re going to do everything they can to put the puck in the net and I’m going to do everything I can to keep it out,” she said.
Rampado was thrilled to be able to come up big with a pair of shutouts when it counted the most.
“It’s exciting to get that for the team, especially because it was two low-scoring games,” she said. “Keeping the momentum on our side really helped.”
Rampado would love to come home with a medal in her final season with BT before she attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this fall on a full scholarship.
“We are a small school and this would be the fourth time in row we would be going so we’re really happy to be there,” she said. “Once we’re there, we leave it all on the ice and see what’s going to happen.”
Rampado, who also plays for the Stoney Creek Junior Sabres, committed to RPI two years ago.
“It’s really exciting to go play NCAA Division 1 and see what I can do,” she said. “It obviously will be a really cool experience.”
Ava Ricker-Singh and Alison Jodhan-Smiley scored for BT in the win over DM.
Other members of the team are: Ilena Ricker-Singh, Brooklyn Duff, Abbey Rogers, Madison Porkolab, Jasmine Kurucz, Emma Lacasse, Kerstyn Barron, Olivia Andrews, Emily Cartlidge, Makenna Mullin, Olympia Myers, Alyssa Leonard and Ella Krushelnicki.
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