Brewing Rivalry

For the second time in this very early season, the Osprey and Aurora were set to battle each other.  The Aurora took the season opener 2-1 in the shootout, so the Osprey were looking to settle the score.

 

The Aurora move the puck around well early and Matt Baird bad 4 saves before the puck even entered the Aurora’s defensive zone.  Dorian Brooks got the first shot for the Osprey 2:10 into the game as he one timed a Keaton Hicks pass which Nick Stryniak stopped easily.

 

Michael Cunningham and his horribly mismatched yellow helmet had a nice chance in front the Stryniak got with his toe just in front of the goal line.  But Stryniak couldn’t stop a shot by Matt Simpson that went off the post and in on his glove side.  Michael Bourgeous found Simpson alone in the slot avoiding coverage on the play.  1-0 Osprey at 13:50 of the first.

 

David Lacey would get a chance shortly after the goal when he beat former teammate Mya Ferguson at the Aurora blue line and then he rushed up the ice.  Lacey took a clapper that Matt Baird fought off with his blocker.  He would then make a nice glove save off Bobby Sacre as he rushed the puck.

 

Matt Pare got clocked by Rowan Ayers at about the 11 minute mark, but play carried on.  Moments later Nathan Bessey chipped a puck past  defender and thought he might be off to the races, buy Mya bolted back and ensured Bessey didn’t have the opportunity he wanted.  Then back up the ice, Bobby Sacre made a great sliding play to break up an Osprey 2 on 1 with Dorian Brooks and Keaton Hicks threatening.  Hicks would try a power move a minute later, but he was 1 on 4 and the Aurora held him off.

 

Matt Simpson would try an ambitious tweeter from well out to the side of the net and then shamefully changed from the offensive zone (it had been a 3 minute shift anyway).  Mya made a nice keep at the line and the Osprey worked the puck around.  The Aurora tried to clear it, but it went right to Scott Stewart at the blue line.  He threw a shot/pass to the net which hit Rohan Dempsey.  He controlled the puck and tucked it around Stryniak to make it 2-0.

 

Exactly one minute after the goal.  Stryniak made a beauty of a blocker save on Scott Stewart to keep his team in the game.  With the Osprey on the power play, it was another errant Aurora pass that would prove costly as Nick Collins got the turnover and his shot went off the bottom of Stryniak’s glove and in to make it 3-0, which is where the first period ended.

 

It was the tail end of a power play for the Aurora when the second started, and they grabbed some momentum from the zone time.  Chris Ryder circled the zone, eventually getting a decent shot in goal as he searched and searched for his absent brother to pass to.

 

Josh Beaudreau had a good chance in the slot that Baird denied to maintain his shutout, but eventually a crack would appear in his armour.  David Lacey would get the puck from Nathan Bessey behind the goal on the power play and then Lacey would swing the puck around and through the five hole to give the Aurora some hope.  The point for Bessey was his first winter point on a team other than the Osprey.  There is a good chance he earned the point because he wore his white gloves.

 

Matt Simpson looked to rally HIS Osprey team by pulling a Lacey and shooting 4’ over the net, but then a beauty pass from Collins and Simpson was alone in the slot being robbed by the glove hand of Stryniak.  He would then rob Matt Pare off the next draw when he was alone in the slot, and then another Osprey chance seconds later as defence was just being ignored but the black team.  

 

Mike Gilmore came out for a shift to restore defensive order as he beat Scott Stewart to a sure breakaway pass and cleared the zone.

 

Keaton Hicks drew consecutive penalties and the Osprey went to a brief 4 on 3, then a 5 on 3, and despite ample opportunities, they couldn’t increase their lead.  It wouldn’t be until 6:14 that Matt Simpson blocked a shot and was hunting down  puck all alone.  Stryniak made an interesting decision not to play the puck that Matt would finally reach at the has marks.  The shot went off the stick off Stryniak and into the top corner of the net.  No other pucks would get behind Stryniak after that one.

 

With 4:41 to go, and his team down by 3, David Lacey would try his hardest to jam a puck in at the side of the goal, but as his third attempt missed, it went right to Adam Jarvis in front and he quickly snapped it to the back of the net to make it 4-2.  

 

Lacey was having a productive night, a goal and an assist already when Bobby Sacre fought off a check and turned to spot him in the high slot.  Lacey proceeded to snipe into the top left corner of the net over the blocker of Baird to bring the Aurora within a goal.  Despite putting up a few points, the 3 points Lacey really wanted were brought home in the hands of Matt Simpson and the Osprey.  The Osprey regulation win gives them a potential tiebreaker later in the season, so keep an eye on that.