The following story is by Bear Creek Secondary School co-op student Bridgette Gilroy.
Rivalry between high schools is an age-old tradition, and that spirit of competition was on display this week as local high school students came out to cheer on their classmates as they competed in the 9th annual Kempenfelt Cup.
Every year, students from across Simcoe County pack the stands at Sadlon Arena in Barrie as their respective hockey teams take to the ice to compete in the round-robin style tournament that raises money for Barrie & District Christmas Cheer.
Banting Memorial High School in Alliston, Bradford District High School, Nottawasaga Pines Secondary School in Angus and Nantyr Shores Secondary School in Innisfil competed on Tuesday, while teams from Barrie’s Bear Creek Secondary School, Innisdale Secondary School, Maple Ridge Secondary School, Barrie North Collegiate and Eastview Secondary School all skated on the second day of the tournament.
Each game consists of one period, with ties decided by sudden death shootouts and penalties resulting in penalty shots taken by a player on the ice.
Kempenfelt Cup is renowned for its rapid play time and abundance of school spirit. Students from each school are encouraged to wear their school colours, but some go above and beyond with face paint, bedazzling jewels, hair accessories, costumes, and more. Most notably, a group of boys from Barrie North painted letters on their stomachs in support of their team.
Students also learn a "stand dance" in the days leading up to the event. Before the final games, all schools gathered in the stands to perform the dance.
Along with the exciting gameplay and dancing, Bear Creek's drumline, led by teacher Neil Mavor, energized the crowd with performances between each game.
The first game kicked off at 7:30 a.m. with Bear Creek and Maple Ridge’s girls’ hockey teams hitting the ice with ecstatic energy. The final game between Barrie North and Eastview ended at 2 p.m. marking seven hours of spectacular spirit and epic hockey.
Kempenfelt Cup also hosts a hockey relay race, where team members skate laps around the rink and pass on the goalie’s stick. Maple Ridge won the race this year, breaking Bear Creek’s streak.
In an intense final, Maple Ridge and Eastview girls battled it out. The game ended in a tie, followed by an epic two minutes of overtime with no change to the score. Finally, Maple Ridge secured their win after an extensive shootout clinched them the win.
For the boys, Eastview and Barrie North played a fierce game. With explosive crowds, incredible team work, and a swift goalie, Barrie North finishes on top with a score of 1-0.
Kempenfelt Cup serves as a time for schools to come together and support one another, as well as raise money for families in need this holiday season.
For more information on Barrie and District Christmas Cheer, visit christmascheerbarrie.com
