And then there was one!

Coming into the weekend’s action four teams were still in the hunt for the Tweed Saturday Night Hockey League’s holy grail, a cup virtually owned by the Tweed IGA Senators the past few years. But when the smoke cleared after three games Saturday, March 25, it was the Thomasburg Toros who emerged through the mist holding The Cup for the first time after dethroning the Sens in convincing fashion, dumping them 5-2 in the championship finale.

Thomasburg breezed through the playoffs with a near perfect 5-0-and-1 record, their only tie coming against Trudeau Park in the round-robin, and along the way the new champs outscored their opposition 23-10.

Rory Wilson was the catalyst for the Toros netting three goals including two insurance markers after Brian Harrison had scored what eventually held up as the championship winner late in the first period. At that point Thomasburg led 3-1 then Wilson’s second goal of the game upped the lead to 4-1 in the second set, effectively putting things out of reach, before IGA made it close with their last goal of the season with just seconds remaining the period. Wilson capped off the hattrick with the third period’s only goal in the final minute of play.

Barry Tebo was also instrumental in the win counting a goal and two assists while Countryman chipped in with two assists. Single helpers were credited to Jim Earl, Joel Fisher and Harrison.

The Senators replied with a goal apiece from Greg Harrison and Pat O’Leary with Harrison and Andy Hunt picking up one assist each.

The Toros advanced to the championship game after dominating the Bogart Tweedsmuir Flyers 6-2 a semi-final matchup earlier in the evening with three points apiece coming from Wilson, Earl and Kyle Broek and two goals from Steve Countryman. Thomasburg never let Bogart into this one holding period leads of 2-0 and 4-1 as they eliminated the former TSNHL powerhouse who’d won a string of championships of their own just a few short years ago.

IGA met the Bush Furniture Panthers in the other semi-final after scoring two unanswered in the third period to turn a 2-1 advantage, that they’d held since the opening frame, into a 4-1 triumph.