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Evergreens vs Lions
2025-03-13
Greg and Silas Bonnell battle off the opening draw
The Lions and Evergreens had a good battle Wednesday night
You may think that the first place team would have the marquee matchup of the opening round, and while their first game didn't go to plan, the 4/5 matchup between the Evergreens was shaping up to be the most competitive of the week.
To start the game, Greg and Silas Bonnell lined up across from each other and immediately battled toward the puck drop as the puck eventually was knocked away by one of the centres. It was fairly even to start off, and then just a couple minutes in, Dustin Hall was sprung for a breakaway. He took the shot as he got in close to Aidan Durnford and rang it off the corner crossbar and out, the first of 4 posts for the Lions on the night.
The Evergreens went back up ice shortly after with Kyle Gouthro going down the right wing, but Jamie Wutke denied him. The Evergreens had more early opportunities than the Lions, but nothing to show for it. With just over 10 minutes to go, Landon Miron out muscled Dustin Hall in the high slot and he fed the puck to the front of the net. Wutke over committed and the puck slid threw a crowd, just past his outstretched leg and into the bottom corner of the net. 1-0 Evergreens.
Matt Gendron had a great chance for the Lions when he beat Silas Bonnell to a puck and got control just as he reached the goal, deking to his backhand but Durnford made a solid blocker save. Both Goaltenders made solid saves as they kept the game a low scoring one. The Lions Jamie Richard would enter the Evergreens zone with just under 5 left in the first. He basically skated right into a pile of green players causing a clusteruck. Dustin Hall was just off to the side of the play and as the puck came loose, he spotter Brandon Marsh in the slot and he poked the puck through a tangle of legs to Marsh. All alone in front, he picked his spot, taking a wrister that beat Durnford to his glove side as the game was tied up at 1s.
The Lions took a penalty on the next shift and Brock Bethune took advantage of the extra ice. His shot beat Wutke under the blocker and went off the tendy's ribs and into, giving the Evergreens the lead for the second time.
It was a quick response for the Lions, just 22 seconds. Kirk Levy made a great pinch at the blueline to keep the puck in. Dustin Hall grabbed it and skated to the middle of the ice. He faked a shot and sent it down to Jamie Richard at the side of the goal. Richard had Durnford out of the net and he went for the wraparound. An Evergreen player slid into the net in an attempt to make the save, and they did, but it was just a bit too far back as the puck crossed the line and the Lions cheered being back to level.
The second period was an exciting one as both teams came close to scoring but couldn't. Then Brock Bethune took a clearing attempt to the face and had to leave the game briefly to clean up the blood from the cut on his face. He would return and thankfully he'd not lose any teeth.
A shootout was looking like a possibility when Brock a Bethune took a shot from the point that was going a mile wide of the net. Shane Whitman got a stick, or a skate, or a leg, or something, o it near the faceoff dot and it went right into the net. A great redirection that Wutke didn't stand a chance on.
In the final minute of play, the Lions pulled the goalie and made their push. A faceoff scrambled and Brandon Marsh with the shot on goal. A save by Durnford, the puck heading back from whence it came, bouncing, Hall swings at it and gets a piece, it's going on net, but Durnford reaches up as he's going forward and catches it. That would be as close as the Lions could come. The Evergreens take the 1-0 series lead and will look for the sweep when these teams meet again on Tuesday of next week.
To start the game, Greg and Silas Bonnell lined up across from each other and immediately battled toward the puck drop as the puck eventually was knocked away by one of the centres. It was fairly even to start off, and then just a couple minutes in, Dustin Hall was sprung for a breakaway. He took the shot as he got in close to Aidan Durnford and rang it off the corner crossbar and out, the first of 4 posts for the Lions on the night.
The Evergreens went back up ice shortly after with Kyle Gouthro going down the right wing, but Jamie Wutke denied him. The Evergreens had more early opportunities than the Lions, but nothing to show for it. With just over 10 minutes to go, Landon Miron out muscled Dustin Hall in the high slot and he fed the puck to the front of the net. Wutke over committed and the puck slid threw a crowd, just past his outstretched leg and into the bottom corner of the net. 1-0 Evergreens.
Matt Gendron had a great chance for the Lions when he beat Silas Bonnell to a puck and got control just as he reached the goal, deking to his backhand but Durnford made a solid blocker save. Both Goaltenders made solid saves as they kept the game a low scoring one. The Lions Jamie Richard would enter the Evergreens zone with just under 5 left in the first. He basically skated right into a pile of green players causing a clusteruck. Dustin Hall was just off to the side of the play and as the puck came loose, he spotter Brandon Marsh in the slot and he poked the puck through a tangle of legs to Marsh. All alone in front, he picked his spot, taking a wrister that beat Durnford to his glove side as the game was tied up at 1s.
The Lions took a penalty on the next shift and Brock Bethune took advantage of the extra ice. His shot beat Wutke under the blocker and went off the tendy's ribs and into, giving the Evergreens the lead for the second time.
It was a quick response for the Lions, just 22 seconds. Kirk Levy made a great pinch at the blueline to keep the puck in. Dustin Hall grabbed it and skated to the middle of the ice. He faked a shot and sent it down to Jamie Richard at the side of the goal. Richard had Durnford out of the net and he went for the wraparound. An Evergreen player slid into the net in an attempt to make the save, and they did, but it was just a bit too far back as the puck crossed the line and the Lions cheered being back to level.
The second period was an exciting one as both teams came close to scoring but couldn't. Then Brock Bethune took a clearing attempt to the face and had to leave the game briefly to clean up the blood from the cut on his face. He would return and thankfully he'd not lose any teeth.
A shootout was looking like a possibility when Brock a Bethune took a shot from the point that was going a mile wide of the net. Shane Whitman got a stick, or a skate, or a leg, or something, o it near the faceoff dot and it went right into the net. A great redirection that Wutke didn't stand a chance on.
In the final minute of play, the Lions pulled the goalie and made their push. A faceoff scrambled and Brandon Marsh with the shot on goal. A save by Durnford, the puck heading back from whence it came, bouncing, Hall swings at it and gets a piece, it's going on net, but Durnford reaches up as he's going forward and catches it. That would be as close as the Lions could come. The Evergreens take the 1-0 series lead and will look for the sweep when these teams meet again on Tuesday of next week.