Games Between Teams Close in the Standings

Our Tuesday night usually kicks off the week, but was instead the middle night this week due to the COLT ringette tournament taking our Thursday ice this week.  We had the Lions playing the Greyhounds and the Aurora taking on the Evergreens.

The Lions and Greyhounds had identical records before puck drop, with the Lions taking their first game against each other, and the Lions who came out strong.  But it was a mistake from the king of visors that got the scoring started as a giveaway up the middle to Eric Blanchard was quickly turned into a goal with a shot from the slot.  After nearly 5 minutes of Lions pressure with Trevor Pate stopping multiple point blank chances, Scott Stewart tied it up for the Greyhounds.

Stewart was having himself a bit of a night and on his next shift, he potted another.  Then the Greyhounds went to the power play and there, after a failed clearing attempt, Scott got the puck in the slot and put in his third in a row.  The natural hat trick turned a 1-0 Lions lead into 3-1 for the Greyhounds, and that was how the first period ended.

There was no worry from the Lions bench as they felt their play was overall good, and their numerous scoring chances would pay off, so they stayed the course.  In the first minute, it paid off.  Dave Matthews took a shot from the point which went along the ice and through 8 guys and into the corner of the net.  Pate never saw a thing.  30 seconds later Pate again never saw a thing, but that was just because Joey Richard walked in and absolutely ripped one which destroyed Pate's water bottle as it went over his glove and into the back of the net.  Both halves of a defensive pairing scoring on the same shift is pretty rare, and it levelled the score.

The Lions continued to pressure, and Brandon Marsh having a great game at centre, scrambled a draw in the Greyhiunds zone which Dustin Hall poked through.  Jamie Richard picked it up and tried to wrap it around the net, but Pate stopped him.  The puck however took a crazy bounce, straight up, and from behind the goal line, Jamie batted a line drive out of the air and into the back of the net net to give the Lions the lead again.  Josh Martel would add to the lead to make it 5-3, and then the Greyhounds were forced to pull their goalie to try to get two.

Greg "Apples" Bonnell, one of the hardest workers in the league, and an absolute beauty of a person, knew what he was supposed to do, and he came out to Mike Gilmore who was winding up for a shot at the point.  Apples blocked it and the race was on.  He got body position around the red line and was moving toward the empty net when Gilmore dove at hime and he did get the puck, but he also took Apples down, and if you know your rules, you know that a penalty shot on an empty net is an automatic goal.

The Lions took the 6-3 win and now have the head to head win tiebreaker should they and the Greyhounds end the season tied.

Our other matchup was between a couple of top teams, the Aurora and Evergreens.  The latter of which is fresh off losing their goalie and were using Josh McCarther in net.  Josh would have himself a game with 6 breakaway stops, and wouldn't allow a single goal in the first period, a period where Landon Miron would be the only lad to bury as the Evergreens took a 1-0 lead into the break.

Chris Stickings changed everything when he finally figured out McCarther in the second, and then, with his team down a man, Matt Simpson would get a breakaway, but he was stoned, and McCarther wanted to move the puck quickly to give his team a chance at scoring with Simpson way out of the way, but it was Simpson using his head.  Instead of doing a flyby, he put the brakes on and when the goalie dropped the puck to play it, Simpson snuck up on him, lifted his stick and put it into the net to give the Aurora the 2-1 lead.

James Harrison had his goalie's back though and quickly tied it up, and then Carter Nickerson did the same with a snipe of his own.  And looking like they may take a 2 goal lead, the Evergreens had a goal called back due to the net being dislodged.

The Aurora took advantage and Matt Simpson fired a shot that went in short side as the tendy knocked the net off at the same time, which of course outraged the Evergreens who'd been thwarted for the net off just a minute before.

The game tied up, the teams tried to break the deadlock, but to no avail and to the shootout we went.

It was a long shootout with Brock Bethune scoring for the Evergreens going roof, then Lacey getting one with a fake clapper and skate around the goalie.  We had some big attempts like Silas Bonnell ripping a clapper and then flying through the air, and Max Dewey trying to do the same thing, but none could score until Kyle Gouthro went five hole on Logan MacLean.

The Evergreens picked up the extra point which moves them into first place with 30 points and the Osprey aiming to get there tonight as well.