U. S. Women win triple OT battle

5/26/09~NHL

Team Picture (USA)

Barrie,ON - Cheri Winterberg won her American ladies ball hockey team a title at the 13th annual World Outdoor Ball Hockey Championships last night in a game that could only be considered a classic. Her backhander with 14.3 seconds remaining in the third overtime lifted the American-based Stripes team to a 4-3 win against a hometown Barrie squad at the Barrie Ball Hockey Club. So where's the champagne hiding? "I'm actually driving home now. It's a nine-hour drive back, and I have to work tomorrow morning," said Winterberg, who lives in Central Massachusetts. "I would have liked to at least stay for a beer."

The Stripes -- made up of players from across the U. S. -- will take a bundle of good memories home after winning a tournament they look forward to competing in each year. "A lot of the U. S. girls like coming up here because there's more competition," Winterberg said. "The hockey is phenomenal." The Barrie squad -- comprising Barrie Ball Hockey league players and pick-up players -- would have loved to win at home, in front of a rambunctious crowd. They had several good opportunities to score in overtime, and dominated throughout much of the extra time, but just couldn't beat the Stripes' goaltender -- pink goalie pads and all -- when it mattered most. "We were all over them," Barrie's team representative Jody Weathered said as her teammates collected second- place trophies at the Ferndale Drive facility. "(We) played our hearts out. Everybody worked really hard. "We're still celebrating," she added. "We just came here to have some fun." Karen Biagini led the U. S. team with a goal and two assists, while Barrie replied with three unassisted goals from Andrea VanLeusen, Ashley Watson and Carol McCullough.According to tournament organizer and the Barrie club's owner, Brian Broley, the ladies 'B' final was the longest final played in the history of the event, which spoke volumes of the level of play witnessed at this year's tournament. "There's a great level of competition," Broley said, adding teams from across North America travelled to the tournament. "It's been a great weekend," he added. "The weather's been good. It's been a little cool, but it's better when it's a bit cooler." The weekend event featured 68 teams and about 1,000 participants. Ball Hockey Ontario and the Barrie Ball Hockey Club co-hosted the event, which was sponsored byThe Barrie Examinerand Rock 95.