Tensions soared Thursday afternoon at the Shawville arena as the Pontiac High School’s hockey league playoffs came to a boiling point – the Water Doggies were down by two goals and with two minutes left, they needed a quick comeback.

But the Highlanders had them on the run and knew it, so they weren’t about to give up their lead.

As the clock continued to wind down those Doggies managed to bite back with some vengeance, narrowing the gap.

Yet it wasn’t enough as the Highlanders doubled down on their defense to become the 2019 PHS league champs with a final score of 7-6.

Rayden Besharah, captain for the winning team, said they sought to have a well-balanced set-up on the ice to ensure last week’s victory.

“We just tried to adjust [the set-up] defensively,” said Besharah. “We tried to keep one guy deep and then the other guys at the blue line.”

Proud of their comeback in the finals, Besharah credited the team’s relentlessness on the ice for their efforts this season paying off.

“The guys went out and played 100 per cent on every game, and we just gave them our best all year, so I think that’s what won it,” he continued.

Kole Brinkworth and Kaelen Ireland, coaches for the Water Doggies, said it was a tough go on the final, but a blast of a season they had enjoyed. Following the game, the coaches were fully aware of the match’s shortcomings.

“Well honestly, we didn’t tighten up defensively,” said Brinkworth. “So our goalie was getting lots of shots and it didn’t go our way.”

The coaches tried their best to rally the Doggies towards the latter half of the game, with their cheers matched only by the number of chirps Brinkworth hurled towards the other bench.

The coaches were proud to have come so close, making the Highlanders earn the win.

“It was a great run, though we ran out of steam in the end,” said Ireland.

“It was good to see our players play this hard and playing with some heart and spirit,” said Brinkworth.

Pictured, the Water Doggies’ Brodee Campbell celebrates a midgame goal.

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